The Price of Desire
by Nature9000
Summary: Tragedy strikes, a rising gang that Mr. Vega investigates ends up abducting Trina's family and friends, leaving her with a grisly message and an appetite for revenge. It's up to her to act and rescue them, but at what cost? The price is high for all.
1. A Sister's Gift

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N: This story was inspired in a conversation with a friend, Trina's martial arts capabilities, and martial arts movies. It's a shame I can't place Jackie Chan in here.

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><p>Chapter 1 (A Sister's Gift)<p>

Dust particles flew with the air as Trina pushed a strong arm forward with a powerful shout, holding her palm flat with her fingers curled inwards. Her right leg was spread in front of her, her left leg behind, and her left arm curled at her waist with her fist balled. She swung her torso to the left, pushing her left arm forward while pulling her right arm and leg back. Her hair swirled through the air and her eyes locked on the wall in front of her. Her white martial arts uniform shifted as she brought her left knee up and kicked forward. Her black belt bounced on her right leg as she performed several continuous kicks.

Next to her were two friends in the class, Christy Vic-Harris and Jason Sikowitz, both were high belts as well. Christy was a red belt and Jason was a Brown belt. Both of them had associated with her sister's friends at some point of time and both had asked her why she never spent any time with them. She never really had an answer for them besides their not wanting her around.

With a roar, their synchronized movements in front of the class echoed in the room. They performed a swift roundhouse kick, then pulled their legs back and threw a swift punch forward with their right arm. Trina closed her eyes as she performed the formation both in body and her mind. _Dragon. You are a dragon. Unshakable, swift, fierce, steady. Immovable. None can dominate you, you are in full control. Queen of your soul_. Her eyes flew open as they yelled out in sync, throwing their bodies forward with their movements, delivering a swift final punch while twisting their bodies back and kicking high into the air.

When they came to rest, they put their hands together and bowed. Trina slowly exhaled as the instructor began talking to the class, telling them how these three just performed a well structured formation with grace, efficiency, and proper posturing. Her breathing rose and fell rapidly and she threw her hand out to Christy. "Water please." Christy nodded and grabbed a bottle of water from the ground next to her, then placed it in her hand. "Thanks." She uncapped the bottle and brought it to her lips, drinking in large gulps.

The instructor had everyone break off into groups to spar with one another, so the trio simply went to a punching bag in the corner of the room. They decided simply to rest a bit, and then they would get started. "You know something I'm curious about," Jason started. He leaned up against the wall as Trina took another sip of her water. "You're always here, more than we are and more than anyone else. You practice more than anyone, even _me_, and my Uncle is _always_ pushing me to practice for some reason…"

"Any reason why it's so important to him?"

"He never says. Back to you, though…" She pressed her lips together and shrugged her shoulders. She never thought much about why she was there, besides the fact that it was the one thing that she could be 'better' at than Tori. Her sister had it all. She was the princess, the angel, the do-gooder, the one with all the friends in the world. Here, it was as if Tori wasn't the topic of her every day discussions. She was _Trina_, not 'Tori's Sister'.

"I guess one could say I'm more comfortable here. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister to death. I'd go to hell and back for her, but _here_ is where I don't constantly have to live in her shadow. I'm the _older_ sister, even. Shouldn't she be following _my_ footsteps?" Jason chuckled and Christy shook her head.

"It's not always the case like that, but I can understand. I mean, I have an older brother that I always looked up to."

"He's your older brother, though. He's already set the example that you want to follow." She set her water on the ground and turned towards the red punching bag, attached to a heavy black post that stood on the ground. Jason moved behind the bag and gripped the edges as Trina pulled her fist back and positioned herself in proper fighting stance. "So sometimes I get tired of feeling like she's setting the example." She delivered a swift right jab to the bag, then followed with a left hook. She didn't know what she'd do without Tori around, that girl was her entire world right now, but that didn't mean she couldn't complain, did it? "We are sisters, so I think I have every right to complain about her."

"Complain if you must," Jason remarked. He closed his eyes as the bag pushed into him. "It's times like these I'm glad I'm an only child living with my Uncle, where my only stress is 'excel at martial arts'." Trina raised an eyebrow and stepped back from the bag for a second, lowering her arms. She was always curious as to why Mr. Sikowitz would even be so concerned with the art, but then, he never did talk much about his past.

"I just can't picture it…why is he so concerned that you succeed in it?"

"I don't know. Honestly, he always talks about how he would have been a martial arts instructor if he didn't throw his back out when he was younger. Maybe it has something to do that." To see his nephew succeed where he failed? It seemed to make sense, but it was still somewhat funny to imagine the teacher delivering a can of whoop-ass to a bunch of villains. "But still, the way you carry on…I guess we all have our own reasons for being here, but, you never seem like the type of girl to practice martial arts." Trina smiled coyly and folded her arms over.

"Well you never know when it's going to come in handy." Her mind traveled back to when she had her mouth operated on, she was able to take on Beck, Robbie, _and_ Andre all on her own. Sure that was one of her crazier moments and she'd been paranoid the entire way through, so she ended up kicking their ass whether she meant to do it or not. "I do everything I can to be at the top, and it feels good. I don't want to feel like I'm nothing."

"Well if it's any consolation, I don't think you're 'nothing'."

"I agree," Christy added. She kicked the bag with a right side kick while looking over to Trina. Jason let out a grunt of surprise and stared over at the girl.

"You could warn a guy."

"I don't get far in life by warning people. Warning grants opportunity, opportunity grants the right of people to misuse that wall I work hard to keep up." He raised an eyebrow as she punched the bag once more.

"What wall?"

"Just saying. We all have our own reasons for being here." Trina punched the bag with Christy, grinning as Jason pushed his foot back to try and maintain his balance. The sheer force was threatening to topple him to the ground. "Keep up Jason. If your Uncle is so big on the whole martial arts thing, what do you suppose he'd think if he saw you right now?"

"Well. I'd hope for some sort of empathy." He released the bag and quickly spun around, lifting his right leg off the ground and kicking the top of the bag with his heel. The girls lifted up their eyebrows as he jumped back onto his right foot, hopped in the air and kicked out with his left. Suffice to say, he _did_ know how to fight, they just enjoyed teasing the hell out of him. "You know how hard it is to please that man? Did I say my only stress was excelling at martial arts?" He ended his swift fury on the bag with a scoffing chuckle. "No, that's the _priority_ part. The rest is, excel at everything _school_, failure is not an option."

"You think that's tough? Try living with an older brother who has his foot in the door to being a successful doctor and parents that treat you like dirt because you're nothing like their first child." Trina shook her head as her two friends carried on, she didn't want to join in the comparison of how hard their lives were. Besides, as far as she _knew_, she did have it pretty rough.

She grabbed her water back and took a quick gulp of the cool liquid. She took notice of her hair sticking to her skin and her white uniform beginning to feel disgusting due to the sweat. She hated when this happened, but unfortunately, she was required to wear the uniform with the long saggy sleeves and long pants. She had her own thoughts on proper workout attire. She dashed the thought from her mind and turned her eyes to her friends, focusing on how they were _still_ comparing their lives.

She wanted to interject and ask them to grade the difficulties of having an overachiever _younger_ sister, who excelled at everything, had her parents satisfaction and fondness, and was practically handed the world on a silver platter. How did they grade going to school every day and having little friends there because everyone was more interested in said sister, even trying to mix and be friends with the girl's friends was impossible as none of them wanted anything to do with her. No. There was no grade, not for all of that. She recapped her bottle and lowered it beside her belt, her nostrils opened as she exhaled through her nose and cleared her throat. Her two friends stopped their bickering and looked over.

"If there's one thing that can be said about our families…maybe it's…just being glad that we have them. Right? I mean yeah, there are those times I feel like if I just disappeared, no one would care, or maybe I'd be better off without them, but then I realize how _absurd_ that thought is. I'd be nothing without them, nothing without Tori. It's my family and my little sister that make me who I am, and I think I'm a better person _because_ of Tori. Whether or not that's the case, I don't care. I'm just glad that she's around, I'm sure life would be pretty miserable if I were an only child." She stopped herself short and moved her gaze to Jason, who became suddenly quiet. She smiled at him and brought her hand to his shoulder. "I'm not saying that you should be miserable or anything, I know you actually enjoy that life, right?"

"Yeah, but that's just cause I've never had a younger sibling. Or an older one."

"Right, but I've never known my life without Tori. I honestly can't picture it." Jason slowly nodded his head and Christy bowed her head, closing up her hands.

"I don't think I could live without Brian, he's like the one thing keeping my crazy family together." She laughed and leaned her shoulder up against the punching bag. "I bet Tori thinks the world of you, you know. I mean I can personally say, being a younger sibling, I look up to my older brother no matter how much we would be at each other's throats."

"Yeah, I don't know about that." Trina moved her shoulders up and tried to imagine her sister admiring her. In order to do that, Tori would have to take time away from her friends, from being the number one 'superstar' at school, and actually show the slightest bit of interest in her older sister. She lifted her head as the instructor ordered everyone out of the facility, class was over. The group started walking towards the door and Trina gave them a final glance. Jason often drove home, Christy jogged, and she walked. Sometimes taking a long, scenic route just to think, and wouldn't actually get home for hours. "Once I see Tori take any remote interest in me as a sister, I'll let you know. It isn't like she has to involve me with her friends or anything, I don't care about _that_…she's just so busy being number one that-"

"You think she doesn't have time to consider you number one?" Jason interrupted as they walked out the door. She watched him point ahead and followed his gaze to see Tori standing by a tree, waving her hand in the air and calling her name. "I see Tori. I don't see Andre, Beck, Cat, Jade, or Robbie." He taunted her with a smirk and turned away towards his car. "Anyway, I have to get going. Uncle Erwin's going to want to know _everything_ about today."

"Yeah, I'll see you guys later." Her eyes remained on Tori as her friends left the area. She was confused, Tori never met up with her here. This was her sanctuary, the place that her little sister _never_ bothered to come. So what did she want? Tori's right hand was behind her back and a grin was stretched out on her face. She started walking towards her, keeping her arms flat against her body. She really didn't want Tori seeing her as a sweaty mess. "So what are you here for?" She tried not to sound condescending at all when she asked the question, but she couldn't help sounding surprised.

"Well I was just thinking. I know how you always like to go for those long walks after your classes and I didn't have any homework, so I was wondering if I could join you?"

"Really?" She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders once more. She was actually _not_ planning on walking today. "I was actually planning on going straight home, hitting the showers and taking a nap. I guess we could go for a little walk." Home was about four miles to the north and behind the building, to the south, was about eight miles of forest, lakes, and grass. She loved hiking through that area, even the mountainous area towards the center of the large area.

"I've never been out here, it's kind of nice with the lake behind the building." Trina looked back and nodded her head. That lake was where she spent so many countless hours training with Jason, Christy, and the rest of the class. The woods and pathways circled the entire lake, really. There was no swimming allowed in it of course. Yet, whenever she got to the other side of the lake, off school grounds, she was able to take a dip in it if she wanted to.

"You sure you've never been here before? I seem to remember seeing you here a couple times." Tori chuckled nervously and Trina raised a curious eyebrow. "On second thought…" Perhaps the girl _had_ been there before. Throughout the years she was pretty sure she recalled seeing Tori watching the class through the window, but at the end of the day, the girl was gone. "Yeah, let's go for that walk. There's about eight to ten miles of forest around this lake, if you're interested in walking."

"How long of a walk is that?"

"Oh about three hours if we walked the whole thing, but I say we cut that in half and get home in two hours." Tori's eyes widened for a split second and she quickly shook her head, her eyes became daring and confident.

"No, let's do the whole thing! Is this what you do every day?"

"Close enough. Usually some nasty hiking trails in there. I like to stop off and climb this mountain in the middle."

"Cool!" Trina chuckled and started walking, she figured they may as well begin now. Tori followed after her, trying to keep up as Trina walked rather quickly.

"You need me to slow down?"

"No, I'm fine." She raised an eyebrow as the girl picked up the pace and started walking in line with her. She was doing a power walk, so it was definitely a quicker pace than Tori was used to. "Anyway, Dad's still at work and Mom's at home working on cooking dinner. She said it won't be ready for a few hours, we got time."

"Sounds good to me. What's she making?"

"Roast chicken, meatball soup, mashed potatoes and green beans, then a pie to finish it off for desert." Trina practically choked on Tori's words, she couldn't eat all _that_. Hell, if the chicken alone wasn't fattening enough, the pie would be murder! "Dad's working overtime because he's been investigating that new gang that started up recently. The uh…Los Asesinos de Sangre, Spanish for the Blood Assassins." Trina blinked a couple times and brought her hand to her forehead.

"Gangs really need to work on their names nowadays. They get lamer every year. I guess they won't be around long."

"Yeah, Dad says they're a gang that's running drug trade."

"Tell me what gang _doesn't_ involve drugs?"

"He says they think the gang's buying and selling from overseas though. They could have something worth millions as is, it would be a big blow to the gang organization if we found out the names of whoever was buying and selling drugs with them!"

"Yeah, too bad I'm not all that interested in my dad's career field." Tori bowed her head for a second, then brought it back up, shrugging her shoulders.

"What do you want to do after school? I mean, I don't think you've ever said."

"I don't really know. Maybe counseling."

"Counseling?"

"Yeah, like being a school counselor for troubled teens. I know I'd have to be a teacher first, and I'm really good with gymnastics. So maybe I'll coach gymnastics for a few years, teach English on the side of that."

"I think you'd make a great teacher! You're already great with martial arts, so I don't think there'd be any problem with you going into the gymnastics field. I don't know what I'd do…"

"Really?" She was stunned. She imagined Tori would already have her entire future planned out in front of her. "Are you absolutely certain you don't know what you want to do with your life?"

"Yeah…I don't know, maybe help people who aren't fortunate to have good homes? Maybe be a singer, actress, but I'm really not sure I want either of those careers. I like to sing, sure, but a career?"

"You're a great singer, Tori." She grabbed a stick from the ground and tossed it off to the side. She was purposely trying to find things to distract herself so that she'd walk a little slower and Tori wouldn't look like she was about to pass out from walking so fast. It didn't help that Tori still had her hand behind her back. "Okay, if you're going to walk, would you mind telling me why your hand's back there?"

"Oh!" Once Tori stopped walking, Trina had to stop and turn back. "I almost forgot, uh…I was walking by a jewelry store when I saw this…" Trina's watched as Tori pulled her hand into view and revealed a beautiful, breathtaking necklace. She moved her hand to her chest and examined the item. It was finely crafted with a gold diamond chain at least an inch long for the neck. Towards the front, the chain grew out and the fine metal formed a circle around a ruby and sapphire gem. "I thought of you and called Dad up, I absolutely _had_ to get this for you!"

"T-Tori…how much was this?" She carefully took the necklace in her hand and inspected it. The jewel was indeed real and the necklace looked heavily expensive. Tori chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"Well. Dad had to spend half his last paycheck on it, but I called my friends up and they each were willing to contribute."

"Why? Why would you go through such trouble?"

"Because. You're my sister!" Trina smiled as Tori took the necklace and started to drape it around her neck for her. As she hooked the back ends of the necklace together, she pointed to the multicolored gem. "See the two colors? They reminded me of us. Ruby and Sapphire go together, even though they're opposites, they complement the other. That's just like you and me, we complement each other. Even though we're opposites and sometimes we argue, we go really well together." Trina's eyes began to water and she quickly turned her head away, not wanting her sister to see her softening up any.

"A lot of trouble, but I appreciate it. Thanks Tori…" She hugged her sister back and continued walking, at a much slower pace. "You know…I'm glad that you're my sister, and you can do whatever you put your mind to. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I won't. Thanks Sis…Have I ever said how much I love having you as a sister? I mean, I know I don't say it enough, but I _am_ glad that you're my sister. I appreciate having you around." Her heart rose to her chest and she put her arm around Tori's shoulders. She had an embarrassingly silly grin on her face, but she couldn't help it. She would never forget hearing those words, no matter what.

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><p>I feel this was a beautiful start and a beautiful chapter. I hope you will enjoy reading this as it goes on. What did you think of Tori's gift to Trina, and maybe her eagerness to hang out with her sister? Let me know your thoughts on everything and hang around for the next chapter ^_^<p> 


	2. One Happy Family

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 2 (One Happy Family)<p>

As the sisters entered the house, the tantalizing smell of chicken embraced Trina's nostrils. She shook her head and smiled as Tori hurried to the kitchen. Her eyes fell to the couch where Mr. Vega was, having returned home an hour ago, he called the girls to check up on them. He had his right leg resting on his left, and was reading the newspaper, which was surprising, considering he only read the paper in the morning. He looked up at her and smiled cheerfully. "Trina, how was class?"

"It was good. Look at the necklace Tori got me." She moved her hand to the necklace as David moved from the couch and walked over to her. He rubbed his chin and inspected the jewel, nodding with approval. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yes it is, your sister has good taste in what to get for you." That was true, Tori always knew how to make her feel special and happy. Even though she gave her a hard time sometimes, it was never meant to say she was ungrateful. Even the birthday song that Tori had sung for her was a special gift in every way, and she never meant to be ungrateful about it, but her jealousy got the better of her back then. Instead of seeing the song for what it was, she saw another display of Tori's 'remarkable' and 'flawless' talent being flaunted off before her. "I almost said no, but she went out and got all her friends to help chip in. It is a beautiful necklace, suits you well."

"I'm going to have to find an outfit to match it with." She started for the stairs when she heard her Mom call for her. She turned to see Holly moving out of the kitchen, removing her oven mitts and smiling. "Hey Mom, this is the necklace." She moved towards her and pulled her hair back so the woman could get a better look. Holly gushed at the necklace and put her hand to her chest, glancing over at Tori, who was standing behind her.

"That necklace is so expensive, tell me you didn't buy that out of your own pocket, Tori." Tori quickly shook her head and brought a cup of water to her lips. She swallowed and brought the cup down, her eyes beaming with joy.

"Andre and the others helped me with it. Anyway, you should have seen us out there. I've never gone rock climbing before…"

"Rock cli…Trina?" Holly's voice fell flat and her eyes narrowed onto her eldest daughter. Tori was only wearing a short sleeved shirt and shorts going slightly past her knees, it was very possible for her to get scraped up. "Did you take let your sister go rock climbing without any kind of safety gear?" Trina chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. It wasn't like she was going to let anything happen to her.

"It wasn't a high climb at all. The top was only about five feet above our heads." Holly's eyes widened and David started laughing. Their dad was always the lenient one when it came to dangerous stunts like this. "Tori was perfectly safe. Besides, she wanted to do the climb. She's seventeen, I don't think anyone needs to worry about whether or not she's going to get scratched up by a rock."

"I'm a mom, of course I'm going to worry." Holly circled Tori, inspecting every inch of her and dusting off her clothes. Tori met Trina's eyes with her own, as though begging for help. Trina smiled innocently and pointed to the stairs. "Dinner will be done soon."

"Okay. I'm going to go take a shower, I'm sweating up a storm." It was summertime, so she was naturally stickier than usual. It was times like these that she praised the fact that the only guy that she let see her like this was into martial arts too. "I'll be down in ten." She grasped the railing and ran up the stairs, heading for her bedroom. She glanced back at her family once she made it to the top and watched David and Holly start talking with Tori. She felt almost wistful watching them, a sudden sadness was overcoming her heart, and she couldn't explain it. So she did the simplest of things and ignored it, rushing off for the bedroom and grabbing her cell phone.

After a few seconds, she was on the phone with Christy while preparing for her shower. "What's up, Vega? How did your chat with Tori go?" Trina laughed lightly and carefully ran her index finger over the jewel in the necklace.

"Well, surprising actually. She and her friends got me this really expensive necklace." Christy gasped and immediately started ordering her to show her the necklace later. "Yeah, I'll have to do that, I mean…words can't describe how beautiful this thing is!" She put her fresh clothes on the bathroom counter and looked at herself in the mirror, groaning mildly. "Does it make sense that I don't like to sweat, yet I enjoy all forms of martial arts?" Her friend laughed and she quickly pulled a hairbrush from one of the drawers. "I mean _seriously_. Sweat makes me feel so…disgusting. My hair starts sticking, my armpits feel gross, and let's not mention the chafing in areas that I'm pretty sure aren't supposed to chafe."

"Oh believe me, they chafe. I actually don't mind the sweating, but I think what it is really is the focus. When we're up there, doing our thing in class, we don't think about sweat. Maybe for you, it's a matter of tolerating what you don't like for something you do like? You can always bathe afterwards, and then I'm pretty sure nothing else chafes that much." The phone started beeping and Trina meshed her forehead together while Christy checked her phone. "Jason's calling us, I'll add him to the conference."

"Go for it." She reached in and turned on the shower. It usually took a minute or two for it to warm up, as the water heater was all the way on the other side of the house. She heard Jason say hello and ask what they were talking about, so she could either take the opportunity to gross him out _now_, or wait and see what was going on with him. "I'm surprised your Uncle's giving you any time to talk, wouldn't he be having you doing more exercises or chores right about now?"

"Yes, and no he's not, I'm just calling you guys while I can get a moment. I come home and as you know, I barely broke a sweat, right?" He wasn't much of a sweater, a lot like Tori's friend Jade was. He did sweat when he got really into the workouts, but he didn't actually do much today aside from the formation and lesson. "So he assumes I slacked off today, gives me the riot act about whether or not I'm going to pass or fail martial arts, and starts making me do a bunch of laps around the house while he sits in a lawn chair sipping his blasted coconut milk!"

"And what's happening right now?"

"I slipped in through the backdoor and I'd say I have about a minute before he comes searching for me. What are you girls talking about?"

"Sweat, chafing, and girl stuff." Jason groaned and Christy started snickering.

"You know what? I see him walking around out back. I'd better run!" Once Jason hung up, the girls began laughing.

"Trina, that wasn't nice."

"I know, but I had to get him off somehow. I'm about to take a shower, so unfortunately I have to go. See you at class tomorrow?"

"Yeah, are you going in early?"

"Yep. All day practice routine for me. You and Jason should join me, I might get bored out there by the lake all by myself until class begins."

"You? Bored? By what, solitude?" Trina laughed and put her hand in the shower to see how warm it was, and it nearly scorched her hand. "We've tried to go up there on your 'early' days, when we get there, you're somewhere in that ten mile forest that we can never find you."

"Well that's when I'm _not_ expecting you. I want to spar you guys."

"Well I'm sure Jason would have no trouble getting up, his Uncle might force him to get over here early. As for me, I might. Brian's home from college now and once again, I'm ignored." Her heart sank and Christy sighed. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. Text me later?"

"Yeah." She hung up the phone and disrobed for the shower. She usually took fast as hell showers, unlike Tori, who took long thirty-minute showers. As much as she loved the water, she couldn't stand staying in for so long, it felt like she was missing out on life outside.

Staying true to self, she was out within six minutes. Her body glistened as if it were singing for joy, she wasn't sweating bullets anymore! She was wearing her purple bathrobe and painting her toenails when Tori came walking into the room, forgetting to knock. Which wasn't surprising. She looked up as her sister sat down on the bed and watched her. "What's up Tori? You've been acting different today, is something wrong?"

"No…I just wanted you to know that I really do look up to you. I always have." Trina scrunched her face and felt a jolt of concern strike her. She turned around in her desk chair and faced Tori, raising an eyebrow as her sister started looking around the room. She was purposely avoiding her gaze, something was up. "You know, I always thought the peach colored walls went well with your bedspread."

"Yeah?" She looked to the bed and lifted her eyebrows. It was a Queen Sized mattress with a long, crème colored comforter and brown diamond lines stretching out from top to bottom. "Hm. So what's going on Tori? Something's on your mind, and don't try to tell me there's not." Tori stopped looking at the walls and turned to her with a frown. "What's wrong?"

"Cat and Jade both got into fights with their brothers earlier. They stormed out and came over here, so we all went for a walk around town, but it just made me think…what if I never saw you again? What if we had a fight like that and something bad happened? I don't think I could stand it…you're my sister and I've always looked up to you. I love you Trina." Tori's eyes started to glaze over, which concerned Trina quite a bit. It must have been one hell of a fight with the girls' brothers for Tori to feel _this_ bad. She reached over and took Tori in her arms.

"Hey, we're always going to be sisters. Even if something _did_ happen, which I'm not saying anything ever will, we'll always be in each other's hearts. You have my back, I have your back, and that's just the way it is. Cat and Jade will probably make up with their brothers, simply because they're blood, how can they _not_ make up with each other?"

"I don't know, but Jade says she's staying with Beck for a couple days and Cat's with Robbie overnight. Tomorrow we're all hanging out here. The boys want to try and convince them to make up with their siblings, but they seem pretty adamant with how pissed they are…Tell me it'll never be like that with us?" Trina chuckled and squeezed her sister.

"I wouldn't let that happen." She wanted to ask what the fight had been about, but it really wasn't any of her business. If the girls were able to confide in Tori, that was because they were Tori's friends, not hers. Tori smiled and hugged her back, then laid back against the bed.

"So those two friends that you were with at the martial arts class…was that Sikowitz's nephew and Robbie's old bully that Beck found a while back?"

"Yes. They've been there for a while now. In fact, that's where Beck found Christy to begin with." Tori sat up and grinned.

"I didn't know Jason was into all that stuff."

"He is, but his uncle seems more into it than Jason." Tori's eyebrow rose and Trina gently nodded her head, she couldn't wrap her mind around it either. "Christy is actually pretty cool, so is Jay, but you know how it goes."

"Do you _like_ Jason?" Trina laughed and quickly stood up, removing her towel from her head. There was no way she was about to say anything regarding that, although she'd never really given any thought to it.

"Is supper ready yet?"

"Yes, but answer my question!"

"And with that, my dear baby sister, I'm going to race you to the kitchen." She took off and Tori gasped, quickly jumping off the bed.

"You are not avoiding my question!" Trina raced down the stairs, hearing Tori laughing behind her. She was gaining on her, and by the time they reached the kitchen, they were neck to neck. David and Holly watched with wide eyes as the girls rushed towards the table. The parents probably thought they were going to knock all the food off, which they were, if they didn't slow down.

They quickly jumped to their seats and grinned as their parents walked to the table. Holly stood, waiting to serve the food, and David took his seat on the other side of the table. He looked to his daughters with raised eyebrows and a funny looking half-smile. "You two seem rather excited for supper." Tori shrugged her shoulders and pointed her thumb to Trina.

"She won't answer my question, but besides that, yes I'm hungry." Holly started scooping up mashed potatoes and putting them on the family plates. She smiled at Tori and closed her eyes.

"And what question is that, dear?"

"Boy stuff."

"Oh."

Trina grabbed for the chicken and set it on her plate, the meat was her favorite part of any meal. "It's none of your business, Tori. Jason is only one of my good friends. That's _it_. Besides, you know his uncle as well as I do, try to picture Jason all grown up."

"Okay, that's his _uncle_. Imagine Sikowitz with a full head of hair, no beard, and with normal clothes." Once the image popped into her head, she shuddered the thought. David and Holly simply stared at their children with concerned expressions.

"Okay Tori, there's a line you don't cross. That's the 'looks good' line and the 'oh my god, that's my teacher' line. Don't cross that."

"Yeah, sorry about that." She laughed sheepishly and stared at her sister for a minute. Trina raised her eyebrow and looked back, wondering if something was wrong. She watched as Tori's lips curled upwards and she pointed over. "You're wearing the necklace I got you." She smiled back and nodded.

"Well of course, why wouldn't I be? I'm going to show Christy and Jason tomorrow."

"Awesome!" Holly finished serving the plates and took her seat next to David. Tori picked up her silverware to start eating, but set them back down. Trina slowly shook her head as she watched Holly take David's right hand. Tori took her mom's right hand while Trina took a hold of her dad's left. The two sisters grabbed each other's hands and the family bowed their heads to say grace at the table. A tradition that was never to be forgotten, even in the haste of hunger. Trina was more than satisfied with her family, what more could she possibly ask for?

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><p>I hope this was a good relaxing, and enlightening chapter for you. What did you think of it? Tori definitely looks up to her sister, it's a very good thing. Well, trouble starts brewing next chapter, so everyone be ready.<p> 


	3. Vanished!

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 3 (Vanished)<p>

Trina wiped her forehead with the white towel around her shoulders and glanced off to the parking lot where Jason and Christy were pulling up. It was bright and early morning and she'd been out by the lake for the past hour. This was one of the first times she'd seen Christy driving her car here, but chances were she wanted to hurry over, especially if things were still stressful at the house. The two moved out of their cars and she walked over to meet them. "It's about time you guys showed up, I was beginning to think I'd be all by myself here." Christy shrugged her shoulders and Jason laughed.

"Once my Uncle heard I had the opportunity to practice with my friends, he told me to get my ass over here or my head would be replaced with his coconuts." Trina snickered. Jason's eyes trailed to the necklace she was wearing and his lips curved upwards. "That's the necklace Tori got for you? It's pretty."

"I know, right!" She removed the necklace carefully and held it in front of the two. They inspected it carefully, Christy eyed the jewel with keen eyes. Perhaps she was trying to determine if it was a real gem. "She and her friends chipped in, I was surprised she even went out of her way to get this."

"Expensive, but pretty," Christy rested the gem portion in her palm and tapped the jewel with her finger. "I've never seen a necklace like this before, at least not around here. It seems so old fashioned and classy. Plus, this portion's thick down here, I wonder why." She lifted the jewel up and looked to the bottom of the case holding the ruby-sapphire gem. She squinted her eyes and held it up to Trina. "Look at this, there's like a really thin square line on the bottom. The gem's real, though."

"Really?" She took the necklace and stared at the bottom. She was shocked to see a small square portion that could probably be opened up with a really thin, flat head screwdriver or something. Curiosity and intrigue filled her, but unfortunately she couldn't do anything about it now. "Heh, you don't suppose there'd be a battery in there that made the necklace even more entertaining, do you?" Christy chuckled and Jason shook his head, both doubted that idea. So did she, but it never hurt to imagine. "Maybe we'll have to take a look later."

"It's probably just a serial number," Jason remarked as he started stretching on the spot. Trina watched him bend over, reaching to his feet. It was amazing he was able to reach since he was six feet tall. She shrugged and looked back to the necklace, she thought there would be a serial number on the _outside_, but that was clearly not the case. What manufacturer would make a necklace and not put a serial number on it?

"Strange…" She put the necklace back on around her neck as Christy started stretching her legs. "May as well worry about that later. Anyway, Tori's friends are already over today. Decided to stay out of their hair. Apparently Jade and Cat had an argument with their brothers, so Tori wanted me to know she admired me and such…" Jason laughed and stood up, putting his hands to his hips and smirking.

"I _told_ you."

"Yeah, I suppose I had that coming." Jason had a knack for being right, probably got that from his Uncle. "Anyway, I talked to her friends briefly before I left. Want to know how they're doing?" She smiled, though her eyes betrayed her annoyance with Tori's friends. Jason sighed and Christy frowned.

"Uh oh, was it bad?"

"Well let's put it this way, at least Andre said hello. Moreover, he said, 'yo', and left it at that. Beck and Robbie said nothing, Cat waved and Jade yelled for me to leave. I mean, I know things are tough, but I just wanted to thank them for helping Tori out with the necklace. You'd think they wouldn't avoid me like they do Sinjin. They avoid _him_ like the plague!"

"Yeah, but it's good to avoid _him_." Christy started performing some jumping jacks, getting her body very loose. "Sinjin and that one odd guy, Damian, are always hanging around the back of that school. I can't help but wonder what they do back there, but I have my thoughts…You know Damian, right?" She looked to Jason and watched him move to do some pushups. She inhaled and closed her eyes, recalling Damian.

"The strange kid that was in Tori's class that always has the messy hair, never 'gets excited' and scares the living shit out of everyone?"

"Yep." Jason raised an eyebrow and looked up to the girls. They didn't expect him to know anything about Damian. He didn't go to Hollywood Arts, specifically because his Uncle taught there and he _really_ wanted to avoid his uncle during school times. "Never takes a shower either."

"You see, things like that are reasons I'm glad I don't go to Hollywood Arts. Either way, the way you talk about Sinjin all the time, I wonder if he's into drugs." That was always something she never thought about, but Sinjin _was_ into the strangest of things. His eyes were always wide and somewhat bloodshot, he did wipe his nose a lot, and he did a lot of twitching. There were other things she'd noticed about him, small things, but she never thought much about it. "If he and this Damian kid hang out in the back of the school all the time…" He let out a grunt as he pushed himself up, clapped his hands, and caught himself. "Anyway, drugs, I wouldn't want to touch that mess. I care about my body too much to devalue it like that…" Trina shifted her eyes skyward and chuckled, folding her arms across her chest.

"Jason. Sikowitz would kick your ass if he caught you with drugs."

"There is that."

"Anyway," Christy interjected. "I was saying about Damian, it's actually a known fact that he takes drugs. Many people have seen him with drugs, myself included. I don't know why people do that to themselves, but…it's their life, I guess. I'm not going to say anything about it to them."

"Wouldn't bother." Jason pushed himself up to stand and lowered his arms. "If they are into that stuff, bringing it up with them might make them go after you."

"Um Jason, since _when_ would that be a problem?"

"I'm sorry, aren't you the one that _doesn't _like using martial arts unless you have to?"

"So I haven't found a direct need to use it yet, but I will in a minute." She narrowed her eyes onto him and tightened her belt around her waist. Trina stepped in between them and held her hands out against their chests.

"Now now, we'll get to the sparring in just a second. First let's make sure we're ready to. Then again, I'm a bit tired, so maybe you two can spar and I'll watch." Her friends looked at her like she was crazy for wanting to watch them beat the hell out of each other, but then, they all enjoyed watching that. She sat next to a tall tree trunk and started uncapping a water bottle. "I'll spar the winner." Christy looked to Jason and smirked playfully.

"I get no breaks, do I?" Jason narrowed his eyes and moved into fighting stance.

"What makes you think you'll win this time? You usually end up _cheating_."

"Okay fine, I won't 'cheat'." Trina set her bottle next to her and put her hands behind her head, stretching her back and sighing as she relaxed.

"This ought to be interesting." She closed her eyes as her friends began their sparring. Their noises concealed the frantic sound of Trina's cell phone going off. Christy and Jason left their phones in their cars, as they did not have pockets, so they were unable to answer them when they started blaring out their cry. Trina started to hum the very tune belonging to her ringtone, a sad case of irony. Her phone had gone off three times consecutively, she missed them all.

After the day went by and class was over, the trio stopped off at Jason's home to see Mr. Sikowitz. Trina hadn't actually seen him in a while and was anxious to see how he was doing. She still hadn't checked her phone yet, not that she found reason to, people rarely ever called her. Once inside, they found Sikowitz sitting on the couch with a coconut in one hand and a wooden walking stick made of oak right next to him. It seemed so odd of him, but who knew what _fascinating_ things lay with him. "You have a…walking stick? Since when?"

"Haven't I always?" Sikowitz responded without so much as a glance. He sipped the coconut milk nonchalantly through his straw. Jason chuckled nervously and Trina slowly shook her head. "So I finally get to meet my nephew's friends that he's so fond of." He rose up and moved over to Trina, he didn't even use the walking stick, he _carried_ it. "Ah Trina, I never imagined you were one of them. You always seemed a bit…what's the word I'm looking for? You're into martial arts?"

"Yes."

"I see…" He turned his back to her and walked two paces, then froze. Trina raised an eyebrow as Jason slowly stepped back. Christy turned her head to the side and was fixing to ask Jason what was going on when Sikowitz quickly spun around, slinging his walking stick to Trina's neck. She sprung into action, quickly blocking the stick with her wrist.

"What was that?" Sikowitz smirked and sipped his milk once more. He then swung his stick at Trina once more, she bat it away from her leg with her left arm. This flurry of attacks continued until she managed to spring behind him and perform a knife-hand strike to his neck, stopping just at the neck. "What the _hell_?" Christy's eyes were wide and Jason slowly rubbed his forehead.

"I told you my uncle was batty."

"I already knew _that._"

"You're open, Trina." She raised an eyebrow and stared at Sikowitz, but before she could do anything, he had crouched down and kicked his left foot out against her leg. She let out a loud scream and fell forward, catching herself with her hands. Sikowitz carefully placed his coconut down on the end table next to his couch and held his walking stick in front of him, staring down at her as she gazed up with confusion. "I simply wanted to see how well you can fight. In kung fu, or any form of martial arts, you need to _always_ be ready for any opponent you'll ever face. Even ones that you don't expect, or underestimate." He smirked and leaned forward, winking at her. "Like me. It's easy to underestimate a bald man, with a beard, wearing robes that make him look homeless."

"Okay, I get that…" She followed him as he walked around her, stopping in front of Jason.

"Your friend does know how to fight." Jason rubbed the back of his head and Trina quickly looked over to Christy, who looked very afraid. She quickly rose to her feet and started to perform a swift side kick with her right foot into Sikowitz, to see if he'd catch it. To her displeasure, he wrapped his arm around her leg and started to twist, causing a searing pain to shoot up her leg. With his stick, he smacked her in the hip, causing her to fall once more. She groaned and let her head fall towards the ground. "I'm impressed, you know how to fight dirty. In the world we live in today, you'll find a lot of criminals that fight dirty, if you can counter that, you can win almost any fight."

"Yeah…I got that too…" She pushed herself up, struggling slightly and trying her best to ignore the pain that was crawling throughout her body. What the hell was going on with Sikowitz right now? "What's going on? How come you never let into the fact that you know anything about martial arts?"

"I know many things, Trina. Things that you would probably be shocked to know." She rubbed her leg and squeezed on the muscles, trying to see if she could loosen them up any.

"Let me guess, you were once a master of karate or something?"

"Kung fu, actually." She raised an eyebrow as Sikowitz slowly returned to his seat. He placed his hands on the top of his walking stick and leaned forward, gazing past the stick. "Master implies _teacher_, I had that dream once, and was a very strong fighter…I was well on my way to owning my own dojo and teaching my own students, but I was cocky…and too trusting for my own good."

"And so what happened?" Now she was interested. This, a side of Sikowitz she'd never heard before, and there was a chance no one else would ever hear this story. Jason lifted his eyebrows and moved to the kitchen while Christy took a seat in the nearby recliner.

"An acquaintance I knew, one that I had suspicions about, but I deemed him not capable of disloyalty. It wasn't until one day, I paid the price for my overly trusting demeanor. He betrayed us, I won't go into details, but I questioned him, tried to reason with him. My mistake was, I did not fight him. He took out a gun and shot me. I was able to walk after a hip replacement, but unfortunately, I was unable to pursue my dream." He slowly rose to his feet and looked Trina in the eyes. "So if you ever find yourself faced with a dire situation and an opponent that you can't possibly believe would do the things they've done…don't falter one minute."

"I, uh, won't?"

"Have you checked your phone at all today?"

"No? Why?" Her purse was draped over her shoulder. She looked towards it with a frown, wondering if something was wrong.

"I received a text from Beck saying they were trying to get a hold of you, but they'd been unable to. I sent him a text back asking if everything was all right and he responded with a simple: 'we're fine.' I decided not to pursue it after that, but calling Jason wasn't helping." Jason lifted his head from the kitchen counter and quickly reached for his phone. He brought it in with him.

"You called me?" Trina felt her heart drop as she watched him check his phone. His face was frozen in surprise. "Whoa, four missed calls? One from Cat, Beck, and Andre. And there's Uncle's call…" She pressed her lips as Christy sounded out from behind her. She turned to see her friend checking her missed calls.

"I've got one from Robbie and Jade. I didn't even know Jade had my number." She was starting to get a very unpleasant feeling. Was something waiting for her at the house? Was that why Sikowitz gave her the quick 'lesson' of his? No, nothing could _possibly_ happen.

"I-I have to go guys." With that, she bolted from the home. As she ran, she pulled her purse from her phone and tried to fight the nauseating feeling inside her stomach. It didn't help when she saw that she had several missed calls from Tori, her parents, and Tori's friends. They were all earlier in the morning too, so if something happened, it would have been _hours_ ago!

When she arrived at her home, dread overcame as a wave crashing into a fallen surfer. The front door was wide open and no sounds were coming out. She expected to hear voices, not silence. Tori and her friends were going to be there all day, they should be laughing! Her mom and dad should be making comments and trying to interject jokes whenever they could. "Dead silence…"

She was afraid to go inside, afraid to see what happened. When she clicked on one of her many voicemails, she heard Tori's voice screaming for her.

_"Trina! Oh god, Trina call the cops. Wait, dad is a cop! They hurt him, they hurt Dad!"_

_ "Beck is bleeding!" Jade's voice screamed in the background. "His head is covered in blood!"_

_ "Trina please! Andre can't fight them forever, there's so many people he-" Tori let out a bloodcurdling scream, followed by a slow sob. "T-Trina…oh god…TRINA!"_

Her stomach jumped to her throat and her phone fell onto the grass below her. She heard the voicemail operator state clearly the message was received at ten in the morning. It was now seven in the evening. Her sister needed her and she didn't answer the phone. Tears brimmed her eyes as her world began to crash around her, not even the birds made any sounds. Her eyes were wide and filled with fear as she took her first slow steps into the house.

When she entered, the place had been ransacked. Everything was in disarray, chairs flipped over, plates on the floor, windows broken, even the television set had a gaping hole in it. Her body trembled as the dark shadows of the house descended upon her. Who could have _dared_ to attack her family? Where were they? Were they okay? Her eyes locked on to a small pool of blood, she cringed as she thought of Jade's cry in the background. She imagined Jade weeping over Beck's body, blood pouring down his head.

No, she wouldn't believe he, or anyone died. Would it help to call the cops? Probably, but she knew they wouldn't do anything. Especially not if this was done by some gang. Her father was probably the only cop that _wasn't_ corrupted underneath the thumbs of gang members.

She turned her eyes away, unable to look at her home. Yet, she returned to the kitchen, something had caught her attention. Slowly she moved towards the kitchen counter, which was cracked and scattered with kitchen knives and pans. On top was an envelope that was addressed to Trina. They even included the time of delivery.

"…How nice…" She tenderly lifted the envelope, reading the time over and over again. _3:30 PM_. "So the bastards came back then…" Did she want to open this envelope? It was heavy in her hands and felt like if she dropped the envelope now, it would shatter her feet. The name on the envelope was regarded the deliverers to be _'Los Asesinos de Sangre'._ She squinted her eyes and examined that familiar name. Just where had she heard it before? Then Tori's voice entered her head, talking about 'The Blood Assassins'. A lump began forming in her throat and her muscles tensed. Could it be? That gang that her father was investigating?

Her index finger traced the opening of the envelope, caressing it carefully. She wasn't certain she wanted to open it now, but she had to. If that gang did anything to her family, she had to find them. Maybe they had a ransom. Whatever their price was for her getting her family back, she was sure to pay it! However, if they did anything to her family, then _they_ would be the ones to pay the price. Her hands shook as she opened the flap and started to pull out a folded sheet of paper. Now or never, what were their demands? What did they want? Did they want her father to stop investigating them? Was that it?

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><p>The unthinkable has happened, and they've left a note. A lot has happened in this chapter, let me know what you think.<p> 


	4. Payment in Blood

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N: Here we go

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><p>Chapter 4 (Payment in Blood)<p>

As Trina unfolded the letter, a picture fell to the ground. She looked down at it, but the backside was facing her. Whatever that picture was, she wasn't so sure she wanted to see it. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and her body had become too tense. Her eyes scanned the letter and her heart ceased its incessant beating. Her hand slowly moved up to her necklace and her lips parted in shock. Now she had to investigate that thing. There was no way her little sister knew, and it could have cost her big time.

_Miss Vega, we know you have something that belongs to us, and we know you may not be so willing to negotiate, so we're here to offer a fair 'trade'. That pathetic policeman can get off our tail, we don't really care, your daddy doesn't know much about us. Now. Your 'precious' little sister bought you a rather expensive gift, a gift that was intended to be bought by another businessman._

_ Hidden in that necklace is a little computer chip that contains some very important information regarding our buyers and our sellers. Information that could be worth…well, let's just say it's worth more than every hair on your sister's dainty little head. Now all we're asking for is the chip, you can keep the necklace, we don't really care. _

_ Now we know you're probably thinking, 'I'll call the cops!' 'The cops will do something.' The cops ain't going to do shit, they'll take weeks just to scope us out, nor will they give us what we so desire. We hoped to get it just by finding your sister, but were displeased to find that you were already wearing it, _nor_ were you at the house. That is when we got the idea…You're a reasonable woman, and we are reasonable businessmen…Bring us the chip and we give you your family. If you stall, waste any time, or attempt to go to the cops, well then Miss Vega…enclosed is a picture of what will happen to the _rest_ of your family and friends. We will give you one week to decide whether you will help us or be the one to slaughter the rest. We'll be in touch."_

Her body trembled as she turned her gaze to the photograph. What did they mean by 'the rest'? Her blood started to boil as she thought of all the horrors the gang might have put the others through. As she carefully lifted the picture up, she couldn't help but think about that gang. "Reasonable businessmen my ass…" Slowly she moved to the center of the living room, daring herself to turn the photograph over. Would she be ready for whatever she saw? She had to prepare herself, no matter the cost. Just how far were they willing to go for what they wanted? How far was she willing to go for her family?

She took a deep breath, her back turned to the open door. When she turned the photograph over, she saw a grisly sight that made her blood run cold and the color flee her skin. They were all sitting in a circle, all except Mr. and Mrs. Vega. Several men and women were behind them, guns pointed to their heads. Each of them, tied to wooden chairs. Cat's face, forever frozen in horror as she bawled, screaming at the top of her lungs. Next to her was Jade, her eyes wide, and for the first time, tears were running down her face. Beck was sitting next to her, glaring at the camera. His head had a bandage sitting on the top left of his bruised face, he must have been hit with a baseball bat. Andre and Robbie were frozen in shock as they stared ahead, both beaten and bloody.

But in the middle of them all was a sight that made Trina fall to her knees, crashing down with everything around her. The picture fell to the floor and her hands fell beside it as tears started dripping down her nose and cheeks. In the center of all the friends was a brunette, her head bowed with her chin touching her chest and her hair falling in front of her face. Her clothes were stained with blood and her throat had been slit. Trina's hand flew to her mouth as she closed her eyes and began to sob frantically. A mixture of sadness, disbelief, and rage began shooting through her.

It couldn't be her! They couldn't have killed Tori. She'd give anything to believe they didn't kill her baby sister. Those maniacs had the others and they were going to kill them too! What would Tori want her to do? She couldn't think, she couldn't for the life of her figure out what she needed to do now. "Those…those bastards!" She remembered Tori's words, asking her to promise nothing would _ever_ happen. Like Cat and Jade, their brothers were probably the furthest thing from their minds, but the two probably worried about them. What would they think if their sisters were gone? Like Tori was? No. She shook her head, tears flying everywhere as her hair stuck to her lips. No, Tori couldn't be dead. This picture, it _had_ to be a lie!

"They said some sister of the girl had it, I didn't know it'd be you," A familiar voice echoed from behind. Trina's head flew up and her eyes grew large. Her heart stopped and her blood started boiling even more. Rage shot out in her body, fueled by adrenaline. She turned her head and saw Sinjin staring at her, his arms lowered and a gun in his right hand. _Sinjin_? What was he doing here?

"Y-You're with them? The ones…who did this…"

"Yeah, I didn't know _you_ were the one they were talking about." Sinjin slowly walked over to her as she bowed her head and started to sob.

"They…they killed my little sister! You…You did this to her!" Her eyes flew up once more, filled with wrath. He threw his hands up and chuckled slightly.

"Now come on, you know me, I wouldn't have done that to her if I knew. Honestly…" Maybe he was right, how was she to know? She lowered her head to the picture and stared at the dead girl. She was wearing Tori's favorite shirt, the one that Trina got for her on her last birthday. "I know it's rough. They just want the chip, that's all…I don't think it was supposed to be like this, Tri." Her body trembled and she started to sink towards the ground. She should have been here! She should have answered the call! Now she was sitting here with _Sinjin_ possibly trying to comfort her.

_"Trina!"_ Sikowitz's voice flashed in her mind, along with his walking stick. She shook her head and slowly opened her eyes. Her tears wouldn't stop. _"Get up."_ She couldn't. She didn't want to get up, she wanted to curl up and die. Of course, Sinjin would get help, wouldn't he? The guy was a dumbass, he wasn't capable of murder. Who was she kidding? Maybe she didn't know him much, but everyone trusted him more than they would, someone like Damian _"Trina!"_

She opened her thoughts to what Sikowitz had been saying earlier in the day, his story about that person that he knew in the past. _"My mistake was trusting too much."_ Sometimes what you don't believe may be the closest thing to the truth and what you believe to be the truth may be the farthest thing from the truth. That was something her own martial arts instructor once said. _"If you're faced with someone who you don't believe could possibly do the things that you see before you. Even if you're at your weakest…do _not_ falter one minute, one second."_ Look _up_.Her heart slammed against her ribcage as she slowly moved her eyes up and peered at Sinjin through her bangs. He was standing straight, his gun aimed for her head. Shit!

"I'm sorry it has to be like this Trina. All they want is the chip. You know they're just going to kill you once you had it over to them. You and your entire family, the others too…you know too much…" She narrowed her eyes and parted her lips to say something, but no words came out. She was speechless! _Sinjin_ was turning against her. Why shouldn't she be surprised? "I have to do this. There's too much valuable information on that chip. In the wrong hands, someone could easily destroy the gang."

"I don't fucking believe you…" She lowered her head and chuckled. "You _are_ responsible!" She heard him click the gun and suddenly the adrenaline flowing in her spiked. With a powerful roar, she rose from the ground, grabbing his wrist with her left hand and slamming her right fist into his jaw. He let out a shout and released the gun just in time for her to slam him against the wall. "You _asshole!_"

"Whoa! Trina hold on!"

"Don't you _ever_ think you can get away with pointing a gun at me!" She threw him onto the ground, fire burning in her eyes. In a mad scramble, he tried to reach the gun. She jumped over and kicked the gun away from him, then stepped on his right hand, glaring at him as he screamed out. "You're going to tell me where I can find these assholes who killed my sister. They may not want me to go to the cops because they'll kill my family? Fine, but they just made a _big_ mistake." She started pressing hard onto his hand, causing him to cry out more as his bones started popping.

"Please! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

"Oh I know you won't." She reached down and pulled him up, then hoisted him over her shoulder. With rage feeding inside her, she slammed him down against the floor. His head bounced hard against the kitchen tile and a loud moan left his lips. He brought his hands to his head as she placed her foot to his chest. "Now…" She sneered, the photo etched permanently into her memory. "They'll be paying the price for what they want. I'm going to take out each and every one of them until I find my family. Got that, Sinjin? And _you're_ going to tell me where the hell I'm going to start my search…or else."

"Okay, okay! I'll talk! Just please, don't hurt me anymore!" He whimpered as she lowered herself to him and locked her eyes with his. She clenched her fists and clicked her tongue.

"Good. Now start talking." What was going on with her? It was like she'd lost all control. Could anyone blame her? She couldn't go to the cops, her sister was dead, she was forced to play her hand. Backed into a corner. And now, Sinjin just tried to kill her! "Sikowitz was right, I can't trust anyone other than my closest friends."

"Sikowitz? What does _he_ have to do with-"

"Just tell me what I want to know so I can kick you out of my house."

"Okay! I'll tell you everything. I don't know where they're holding your family and the others, but I can tell you anything you want to know about the gang and their hideouts!"

"That works for me."

After several minutes, Sinjin poured his heart out to her. She wasn't in the mood to be forgiving, not for someone like him, so she handcuffed him to the couch with one of her dad's cuffs that were lying around amid the wreckage. She was now sitting at the table with a tiny flathead screwdriver and was starting to pry off the square that Christy pointed out before. Sinjin continued his frantic pleading for her to let him go, but she ignored him.

"Just this once Sinjin, you're not fooling me. I let you go, you go for that gun, it isn't happening."

"No I promise I won't!" She moved her head away from the necklace and narrowed her eyes at him. She'd seen him eyeing the gun the entire time. He was just a part of this gang, and what that meant was, they would fight dirty. Dirty meant sob stories, pity parties, dirty meant Sinjin would try to win her over with compassion and then do her in.

"I'm not taking any chances, Sinjin. So, please, shut your trap." She was thinking, she couldn't do this alone. She needed help, but who? Maybe Jason and Christy would be willing to help, after all, they were good fighters too. Maybe Sikowitz, he seemed to know what to do in situations like this, hopefully.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she finally pried open the back of the necklace. She didn't care if the necklace was the gang's or not, it was still a gift from Tori. A gift that she would cherish, no matter what. When she removed the square, she saw a small memory card that could be plugged into a computer. Her eyebrows rose as Sinjin turned his head to her. "H-Hey, what are you going to do with that chip?"

"They want this thing back, right?"

"Yeah."

"So if they want it back…" She opened her laptop and pushed the SD Card inside. Sinjin yelped out and started struggling in vain against his cuffs.

"That's not for you to look at!"

"Shut up, ass." Instantly the chip brought up several important documents. One mapped out drug trades from California all across the world. "Whoa…Dad was right. Brazil, _China_, Russia, some groups in the United States? This could put the Assassins out of business, they're raking in millions. Or at least starting to…" She clicked onto another document and tilted her head to the side. The leader of the entire gang was some rich millionaire that owned a casino in Vegas. "Well then…"

The chip also contained security codes that allowed the gang to access their own personal 'bank' and withdraw several millions of funding for whatever purposes they desired. She licked her lips and started making copies of all this information, just in case she lost the chip. When she was done, she closed her eyes and rose, shutting the laptop and replacing the chip in the necklace.

"What are you doing now?" Sinjin was sweating, scared, nervous, and beyond rational thought. If she had to guess, she'd say he was having a withdrawal attack. When was the last time he had any drugs? It didn't matter. She'd let the cops come. They were going to notice Mr. Vega was missing. They'd come looking. That was, unless the gang decided to try and cover it up or force the police to look away. Either way, she _was_ getting her family back, and she _would_ make them pay for what they did to Tori, to her baby sister. Oh yes, they would pay with _blood_.

"They can have their little 'chip' back, Sinjin. After all, it's worth more than the hairs on each of their fragile, individual little heads." He swallowed hard as she stared upstairs. She'd need a new wardrobe, a better one. She did have a very nice black jumpsuit that was very easy on the body. "But there's a _price_ for the things that they desire, and they're going to pay. They'll get their chip back…when I shove it down their throats!"

* * *

><p>There are no words to describe this chapter. Intense, emotional, dramatic, those seem to fit. Right now, though, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to be in the gang's shoes...<p> 


	5. All Out War

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 5 (All-Out War)<p>

Trina drove with Christy in the passenger seat. The girl was reading the letter over and over again, trying to absorb everything that was going on. They were speeding through the streets towards Jason's home, and nothing Christy said could stop Trina from going on the warpath that she was to take her friends on."I can understand you don't want to get the police involved, but…are you sure going after these people is going to be a good idea?"

"They have my family, of course I'm going after them." She cracked her neck to the side and breathed out as her eyes remained fixated on the street in front of her. "All the information I took from that damned chip tells me where I can find some of their hideouts, and I'm going to tear every place apart until I find my family." Christy slowly nodded and turned her eyes to Trina's necklace, resting in her lap.

"This thing…may be beautiful, but I'm not too sure what to think of it now."

"How was Tori supposed to know…" Trina's eyes grew misty and her heart, heavy. The picture played in her mind like a plague. That act to force her to bring her the necklace, that one move, would be the last move those gang members would ever make. "Christy, you know I won't be able to do this alone. There's no turning back after this."

"Yeah, I know…" They'd already talked to Jason and his uncle over the phone, and after a while, they finally convinced them to help out. Sikowitz was more than happy to be the 'responsible adult' in the group. It would be a difficult task, a long one, and one that the police may or may not be grateful for. After all, her father was the Deputy Police Chief rank one, on the verge of being upped to Deputy Police Chief rank two, which was basically the Assistant Chief. He was good friends with the current Assistant Chief and Police Chief. It may not be long before the police realized he was missing, Trina had to somehow warn them not to interfere.

"You think I'd have what it takes to be a police officer, Christy?" It was a random question, true, but she wanted to try and avert her mind from the task at hand for at least a brief second. "I mean sure it doesn't involve my martial arts, but I could always use it while out there on the force…"

"After this stunt of yours is over, we'll see if that's a good career option…I still think there has to be an alternative to just storming the gang at every opportunity you get."

"You don't _have_ to join me." Christy laughed and reached over, patting her shoulder.

"No, no, no, as your best friend I am _not_ letting you go on this mad rampage all on your own. Especially not after seeing this picture!" She held up the photo and Trina cringed. She pulled to a stop in front of the Sikowitz house and quickly exited her car. By now, the gang likely had eyes following her. Sinjin hadn't returned to them, obviously, so they would have had to know _something _was up. Christy followed her all the way up to the door. "Can I just ask where you found the jumpsuit?"

"It's not a jumpsuit. Sort of." She was wearing a black leather, almost skin tight suit that framed her body. The only skin below her neck was the V-neck collar. Her sleeves ran to her wrists and her shoes had a sharp looking point at the tip. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her jowl lines were very evident, which gave her an aged appearance of a few years.

"Either way, it's sexy."

"Thanks." Trina smiled with confidence and opened up the door. Sikowitz and Jason were in the living room, Jason was performing some martial arts moves while Sikowitz watched with a coconut in his hand. When the girls entered, Jason paused and gaped at Trina. Sikowitz raised an eyebrow as Trina walked up to him, standing next to Jason. She reached up with a subtle smirk and closed his jaw. "Careful, you might catch bad air, Jason."

"Sorry, I wasn't staring!" He cleared his throat and Trina chuckled. It was hard to do so, but she supposed she needed to allow for _some_ humor. "Anyway, now that you've decided to go vigilante, you've got my uncle all riled up." Sikowitz grinned and rolled his neck to the side.

"Ah yes, it has been quite some time before I've flexed my kung fu. Though, I may not be as good as I used to be." Trina didn't believe all that much in weapons, but she knew that the gang members might have guns, so of course weapons were packed in the trunk of her car for now. Mostly for Christy, who brought her family's "treasured sword" along for the ride. He had a strap for the sheathe, but didn't actually think she'd _use_ the sword.

"Look, I know all this seems crazy to you guys, and believe me, it is…" She walked past them and took a seat on the couch. Christy set the necklace down on the coffee table and sat next to her. She rubbed Trina's back and smiled at her, comforting her somewhat. Jason and his uncle watched on as Trina leaned her head against her hand and clenched her eyes shut. "Those monsters out there they have my mom, dad, my sister…they _killed_ my sister…" From the looks of it, she still wanted to battle and say the woman in that picture was not Tori. More than anything in the world, she wanted to believe that girl was not Tori. "Tori's friends are in trouble too, so…"

"If we go to the police, they'll all die," Christy added quietly. The police might get involved anyhow, with David as important as he was, and Sinjin tied up in the house. Trina slowly tapped her fingers along her jaw and lifted her eyebrows curiously. The police was _already_ looking into the gang, investigating them and perhaps fighting them. The gang played their hand already by kidnapping one of the city's more prominent citizens, if they thought that _wouldn't_ attract attention, then they were idiots.

"No, the police will already _be _involved, but we won't have gone to them." She smirked victoriously and sat up, stretching her back. A dangerous glint shot past her eyes while her friends exchanged nervous glances. "I made a copy of that letter before I left, kept the copy and left the original on the counter. Once the police find that, they'll know something went down. My dad also has the house bugged with cameras, you don't just become the third most important man on the police force and _not_ have some form of security in your house."

Sikowitz rubbed his chin and sipped his milk for a second. "So you're saying…" He lowered the coconut and met her eyes. "The police will probably wind up fighting the gang anyway?"

"They already _are_." Trina stood from her seat and reached into her pocket, grabbing the papers she printed out and folded up from what she'd seen on the chip. "I've backed up the files onto a drive, the actual chip is still in the necklace, and here I've got a few pages of the gang's 'minutes'. Describing just about everything they have to deal with. Also, in my father's files, the gang has been turning up just about everywhere. The police have been investigating them, arresting them, and doing just about anything _but_ ignoring them."

"And now that they've taken Mr. Vega…You'd think these people would have realized the situation they'd put themselves in."

"Yes. But you see…vengeance is a lot deadlier than _any_ police force." She smacked the papers down on the coffee table, revealing on the first page, a diagram and information on the hierarchy of the 'Blood Assassins'. "Sinjin already informed me that there is a hideout at the school, more in the school's basement." Sikowitz raised an eyebrow and stared down at the first page.

"When did the school get a basement?"

"Janitor locks it up, it just simply isn't in use. Or so, people think." She moved the sheet of paper to the side, revealing a sheet with Damian's picture. Christy's eyebrows rose as Trina folded her arms across her chest. "Damian, the kid that freaks everyone out. You see, crime organization is apparently a simple hierarchy. Up top you have the boss, the don, the grand whatever, and then it goes to the underboss, who serves as the boss's lieutenant of sorts. Then there are the captains or whatever you want to call them that head various sectors. They have their own lieutenants and an army of foot soldiers beneath them. Under all that are associates, freshies, new members of the groups. They're the most common participants, the ones that you see out on the streets."

"Okay, and Damian is…"

"One of the captains. His Lieutenant's ass is the one I just kicked and left tied up back at the house." Chances were, if the police arrived before the gang did, Sinjin would be in custody and everything would be caught on David's video camera. Christy and Jason were astonished to even hear of Sinjin's involvement, much less that he was a Lieutenant! "Their sector is in that basement."

"Got that," Christy responded. She moved the paper and stared down at the second sheet, surprised to see the Gorilla Club on the list! "You're kidding me. This place?" Sikowitz chuckled vainly and returned to his milk. Trina slowly nodded her head and sat down. She leaned back and put her hands behind her head.

"That big muscle man, also known as Tyson, is the captain of that sector. I'm also going in order of strength here, the captains seem to get stronger as we go down the list…or more influential. His lieutenant, that dumb Gorilla." She would _enjoy_ beating the shit out of the gorilla, all _PETA_ laws aside. She was pretty sure that thing was just a man in a suit, and that _thing_ had crushed Tori. One sister down, that thing was going to take on yet another of the Vega girls, and she wasn't about to give in. "I don't care who gets pissed, we'll take that Gorilla Club _out_."

"Who's next?"

"The third captain, his name is Mercury. His Lieutenant is some chick named Venus." Christy's jaw fell, Trina knew she recognized the name. Mercury was the owner of that spacey hair salon down on Parker St. She went there often, many people thought Mercury was a good-hearted person. "I think you'll find as we go through these ranks…there are some well known people involved in this gang. Most leaders in organized crime appear to be upstanding citizens, I learned this in that law class I took last year…"

"I know, but seriously? The Salon guy is…"

"Looks like you'll have to find another Salon to go to," Jason remarked with a joking chuckle. Christy shot him a look, then turned her gaze back to the papers with a frown.

"All the charity work he does around town…People won't like this. I guess we shouldn't be surprised." With a heavy sigh, she turned the page and stared at the picture of a man dressed up in a gothic vampire-type costume. Her eyebrow rose and her tongue clicked. "You've got to be kidding me. The creepy guy from that ugly store?" Jason quickly moved to the papers and looked at his uncle in shock.

"Hey, it's Mortimer, the owner of that Halloween shop we used to go to when I was a kid." The girls stared at him with disgust and he looked at them with a nervous chuckle. Mortimer's Halloween Shop was located on the corner of South Denver and Winston St towards the south of the city. "Well…at least he's got a good looking wife." His wife was Morgan, a lady with long brown hair that feathered out at her waist like the end of an axe. She had deadly brown eyes, tan skin, and the body of a model. Trina smirked at him and pointed to the picture of Mortimer's lieutenant. He sighed and slowly shook his head. "Should have guessed she was his lieutenant."

"Right." Trina raised an eyebrow and lifted the paper. "Now for the last captain. They live out on the beach, they manage a Lifeguard Training program. Captain Raven and her Lieutenant, Lilith. It appears they have an underwater base out further from shore. So with that being said, I think it's safe to say, we'll be doing a lot of swimming." Sikowitz rubbed his forehead while Christy and Jason tried to imagine what it was like out on the beach. They hadn't gone for quite some time, and the last time Trina went, it was spent cooped up in Beck's RV. "Now as we move up, the underboss is a man named Seth, who I think you'll find very interesting…"

Sikowitz watched as she moved to the next folded sheet. The underboss had someone directly beneath him as well, and once his eyes met the images and details, his jaw fell. Seth was an older man, very familiar to him. Trina looked up to him and frowned as he slowly shook his head. "It's the man that shot me!" Jason gasped and Christy's eyes widened. Trina slowly nodded her head and breathed in.

"Yeah, he's also the secretary for the superintendant of schools. More surprising is the man working directly under him." Sikowitz brushed off his shock and looked to the paper once more. Everyone gazed at it with silence, unable to make heads or tails of what they were seeing. Trina already got over the shock, but was still speechless whenever she thought of the man. She just couldn't wrap her mind around it, couldn't believe for the life of her that the school's good old guidance counselor was involved in this mess. "Lane Alexander, he puts up a relatively good front, and he's allowed for Damian and Sinjin to head the sector hidden away in the school. In reality, I think he pulls the strings there more than they do."

"This is…How can all these people be this corrupted?"

"I don't know. The leader of the whole organization is some man named Giovanni, but I couldn't find a lot of information on him, surprisingly enough. The gang itself seems not very well informed on their own leader." She breathed in and narrowed her eyes while the others stared aimlessly in whatever direction they were looking. "From my understanding, as they are a new gang, they have nobody within the police force yet. I think they're going to attempt to talk my dad into working with them, but that will never happen. Now, we're going to storm the bases of the captains, since they're bound to know exactly where Seth's base is, and he'll have to tell us where this Giovanni is located."

"What are we going to do, just take them all out?"

"Close enough." She clasped her hands together and rested them on her lap. She wanted her family as soon as possible, yes, but the only way to find them was to help the police take out the entire gang. At least, that's what it seemed like. She wasn't letting them free, not when she knew from her studies that if they just went after the head, crime organizations would simply appoint a new head. "We'll try to leave them alive and for the police to arrest, I don't _want_ to kill anyone."

"Don't lie, Trina. It doesn't do wonders for you." She laughed dryly and responded with a swift nod.

"True, I would like to kill some of these assholes, but it wouldn't be right. The best thing to do is leave them for the police to clean up and go directly to the top. First, we need to let the families know where their kids are…" Cat's and Jade's especially, she just couldn't get out of her mind the information that Tori gave to her when she referred to their brothers. They needed to know about their sisters, because they would likely be concerned, even if the girls didn't feel that way. She breathed out and closed her eyes, her stomach clenched with frustration and her heart mourned for the families of all of them. "I'm not going to let anyone else lose their sister or brother. It can't happen, and it won't." She knew Andre had a little sister, so she'd definitely be concerned. As for his grandmother, the woman would likely be difficult to tell this news to, it had to be done. "As for the police, I can't directly contact them, or else I risk everyone dying. I did, however, leave a message for them. My father, in his last moments in that house, sent a distress call to the Assistant Chief, and as I know they're close friends, that man will be there…I don't think we'll have to worry about a thing."

Christy turned her gaze to the necklace and inhaled, her breath was deep and shaky. The gravity of the situation was finally hitting all of them. They knew the mess that they were getting in, and yes, they were scared. This wasn't just a game, it wasn't some play for school, this was real, and all they had to rely on were their fighting skills. "I hope you're right, Trina. I really do…"

At the Vega household, Assistant Chief Michael Andrews walked through the home with his most trusted officers. He was responding to the distress call that David sent out. They'd found Sinjin and had arrested him, he gladly went without any issues. The officers located the copy of the note to Trina on the counter, he'd been enraged when he realized who was behind this sickening destruction.

As he slowly walked through the house, his stomach turning at the blood and devastation, he made his way to the family's master bedroom. He'd helped David to set up the hidden cameras throughout the house a long time ago, so only he was aware. The cameras hidden throughout the living room were connected by small wires that ran along the walls into the master bedroom where a cable cord was hidden just underneath a metal covering on the floor.

As he entered the room, he saw the main bed in disarray, covers thrown and pillows cut open. Once more, his heavy heart lurched and his head pounded. He turned his eyes to the flat screen television resting on top of a brown television stand that could be rolled to the side. He moved the stand away and knelt down, gazing at the round metal cover. He ran his thumb across his forehead and sighed heavily. The camera system could be plugged into a DVR system and contents recorded, so this was a true help.

When he reached down and opened the metal cap, he was surprised to see a small folded paper beside the cable cord. He lifted his head up and looked to the doorway. This was very important, as the only people that knew the location of this cord were the members of the Vega family. Assuming David and his family had no time to scribble on a note thanks to the gang, and Trina was the only one with the gang forcing her hand, the note must have been placed there by her. He reached in and grabbed the note, opened it up, and started reading the words.

_"Mr. Andrews, you and Chief Abrams are the only people I trust right now. I know the police force is good, but I just don't know if this gang has their hand dipped into the force or not. The reason I'm writing this…I have to save my family, you understand. The gang has to pay for Tori, they have to. I can't go to the police or else they'll kill mom, dad, Tori's friends, as you should know by reading the original of the note I left. I can't risk their lives like that, so they can't know that I've contacted you at all. Though, I know they're already at war with the police force, so I'm not overly worried about the police fighting them. I'm going in, though…where no one on the force has gone…the chip the gang wants, it's revealed the location of some of the gang's captains in charge and their sectors. I'm going to bring them down, I'm going to leave them for the police, just as I have left Sinjin for you. It's dangerous, I know, but this is the only way. Once the leaders are out, and my family's safe, I suppose the gang will be destroyed. I don't know. You, Dad, and the Chief can decide from there what you want to do with me. The reason I say dad, is because, I _will_ save him. I'll give you the chip when it's safe, and I'll probably leave some notes for you in regards to what's next. I don't know, I still haven't figured how I'm going to do that yet, it's just too dangerous right now to risk communication. For now, just know, I'm not giving up until I've taken this gang _out_. Of course I'm going to remain low and out of sight, that is also the safest bet. Unfortunately the information listed some important names around the city as prominent leaders in the gang, so don't be surprised…it also looks like stealth will be the best way to take them out. They won't hurt anyone more…"_

Michael cupped his hand over his mouth and folded the paper over his finger, he breathed in and stared up at the wall. This wasn't good, why would Trina put herself in such a dangerous situation? Going after the whole gang? She could get herself killed! He had to respect her wishes and not let it known that they knew what she was doing, but by that same respect, how could they protect her? The best way he could think of was to have the police simply keep all the street members at bay by arresting them all if possible. If Trina was going inside the gang to take out the leaders, if she knew where the leaders were and could do it, then maybe they could take the gang out before they became a danger.

Their grave mistake, however, was putting the Vega family in this state in the first place. Trina ought to know better than to go vigilante like this, but he could understand why she was doing this. In truth, she might stand a better chance of getting her family back than the police force could. As for now, he'd let her do this, he had to rally the force, because he too was _pissed the hell off_.

"Then I guess if they want a war, they're going to _get _a war."

* * *

><p>Well, looks like the troops are being rallied. The police can help on the outside, but it's best to not get too close. Trina seems to know what to do next, and as reluctant as her friends seem to be, they're hand has already been dealt. Here we go. Or as Kel, from <em>Kenan and Kell<em>, would say: "Aw here it goes!"

.com/watch?v=QJLttXb5HlA


	6. Telling the Families

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 6 (Telling the Families)<p>

Trina stood in front of the West family home, praying that the gang wasn't watching her right now. She didn't know if it was safe or not to alert the families, but it was a risk she had to take. They needed to know. The others were waiting in Sikowitz's black 2010 Nissan Armada Platinum SUV. They figured it would be better to ride around in that van with all that they needed to carry around. Besides Christy's sword, Sikowitz did pack a couple handguns and a shotgun, just in case they were ever caught up in a chase. No one wanted to touch those weapons, and when asked why he had them, he said that his brother had owned a gun shop while he was still alive. There were also some important rations, clothes, and some other important items they'd need for hiding away from the gang. They would always be on the move from this point on.

Trina tapped her closed hand upon her left palm as she paced the front porch, waiting for someone to come to the door. She stopped for a second and looked to the car, parked alongside the curb. Sikowitz was driving, she was in the passenger seat, Christy and Jason were in the middle seats, and the third row seats had been pushed downward to make more room for any kind of luggage. For a split second, she questioned what she had gotten them into, but she _needed_ them. There was no way she could do this alone.

The door opened and she heard a little boy answer. Her blood ran cold as she spun around and lowered her gaze onto that of a twelve year old child looking up at her with sad blue eyes. He had sandy brown hair spiked upwards and still had some baby fat in his cheeks. He was thin and very short for his age. It broke her heart that she would have to tell him, tell his family, that Jade was being held by a vicious gang. This image, this boy, this child, she would remember him in this moment. Just one thing she would have to fight for, to return his older sister to him.

She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled sadly at him. "Hello, are your mommy and daddy home?" The boy nodded and quickly ran off. She questioned why he seemed so sad, but then she remembered, Tori did say both Jade and Cat ran off just a day or two prior to today. Without any contact from the girls, the families truly would be concerned. Her breath escaped her and she whispered softly. "No…"

"Hello?" A woman's voice struck her and she lifted her eyes to see a beautiful brown haired woman standing before her with sad brown eyes. "I'm Monica. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I…I was hoping to talk to you and your family about Jade."

"Jade? You know where she is?" Monica turned her head over her shoulder and called out. "Henry! Denise! Someone's here about Jade!" Her heart clenched as she watched two adults walking towards the door. Mr. West and his first wife, Denise. Monica was Jade's stepmother, from what she recalled about the West family. When the parents met her eyes, they instantly frowned. Denise put her hand to her chest and Monica turned her eyes downward, they could tell Trina didn't know anything. The boy, Lance, made his way back to the door and looked up with hopeful eyes.

"Where's my sister? We had a fight…I didn't mean to mess up her bedroom. I really didn't. I didn't know it would make her leave…" Trina knelt beside him and met his eyes, frowning as she put her hand to his "I-I put whipped cream and fish in her bed and closet, it was a prank, that was all."

"I think Jade will be really happy to see you again, Lance." Lance smiled sadly and Trina slowly breathed in. "When she comes back, when I bring her back here, she may have some trouble emotionally, she'll need her family and more than anything, I'm sure she'll need her little brother right beside her."

"I made her a present!"

"You did?"

"Yes! With Grandpa Frank's help! He was a glassworker when he was young and we made this really beautiful jade colored swan!" Trina's lips curled upwards and her eyes started to glaze over.

"Would you show me? Go get it for me." Lance quickly nodded and ran off. Trina closed her eyes and rose back to her feet, she didn't want him present when she told the parents just what was going on. They were all receiving bad vibes. This was way too hard for her to do. She met their eyes and she could already tell from Denise's expression, she wanted her baby. "You're all probably here because you're concerned for Jade."

"Where is she?" Monica asked. Henry's usually stern face was rather solemn and extremely concerned, not even he would be cold when it came to his daughter's life. "Where is my stepdaughter."

"I…I am not exactly sure, but, the police and I are going to find her. She, and her friends, my sister, my parents…they were taken. The blood assassins have her." Monica gasped and Denise let out a mournful cry, falling into Henry's chest. He wrapped his arms around her as the woman sobbed. Monica fought back her tears. They all recognized the name of the gang. Who didn't? Even though they were new, just about everyone had come into contact with them at one point or another, whether personally or by visualization. "She was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Rest assured, I _will _bring her back to you." Monica slowly nodded, her tears finally streaking down her face.

Henry locked his eyes with Trina's and pressed his lips thinly against each other. "I don't know how you plan to do that, but if so…please bring her back. I don't care what it takes, bring my daughter back to us."

"I will Mr. West. I will." She heard the patter of running steps and shifted her eyes over to see Lance running back to them. In his hands, he was carefully cradling a beautifully crafted jade swan. She smiled softly as he lifted it up.

"Would you give this to her, Miss?" She was silenced. As innocent of a question, it still held great power. Could she be tasked with that? No, she shouldn't be the one to do it. She pressed her lips together and knelt down, meeting his eyes and rubbing his hair.

"You can do that yourself, Lance. I'm sure she'll love it."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. I _know_ she will." Sikowitz honked the horn, they couldn't stay in one place for too long. Not a residential area, not somewhere like this. She understood the reasoning for that. She started walking off and turned her gaze back to the family, all watching from the doorway with hopeful, fearful, and trusting eyes. It weighed down upon her, she hadn't realized just how many people were going to be relying on her. This, this was bigger than her, it wasn't about her or about Tori, this was about everyone. She slowly closed her hands and gave them a determined nod. "Next time you see me, I'll have Jade with me. Lay low, don't stay here. It won't be safe." With that, she turned back and continued towards the car. After she entered and strapped herself in, Sikowitz started the vehicle and drove off.

She groaned as she waited on the porch of the Valentine residence. It was necessary to do this individually, she couldn't risk meeting in large groups or in public. Too dangerous for the families. She hadn't realized that it was dangerous just talking to the West family on their porch, she needed to meet the families _inside_ the house. When the door opened, she wasn't sure what to expect. It was Cat's brother, dressed in a college jacket, ginger hair, and sharp hazel eyes. Trina knew he was a year older, but she had two brothers, the one she always talked about was the youngest. Only eight years old.

Thank god that brother wasn't here, she did not want to have to see the sadness in a young child's eyes again. "Something I can help you with?" Daniel Valentine, he was the more known sibling out of Tori's friends, not like the younger brother that Cat commonly mentioned, but as the brother that was always trying to check up on her and take care of her.

"Where's the family?"

"They're out with our grandmothers and Uncles. Looking around for my sister, I was told to stay here with George, in case she shows up."

"George? Your brother?"

"Yeah, he's asleep. What do you need, Trina?" She tapped her fingers against her thighs and spun her mind around trying to think of what she could say. She didn't want to be too direct, but she needed to make it fast.

"I need you to call your family…take George…and go somewhere safe. I don't know where, just, leave town for a while." He raised an eyebrow and she drew in a sharp breath. "Cat has…she was with my sister and her friends, a gang came in and took all of them." Daniel's eyes grew large and his face paled. "I'm going to do everything I can to save her, to save all of them. But you need to get somewhere safe, because that gang may try to hurt you. I can't protect you, I can only warn you."

"You're saying…a gang…has my sister…" She moved her eyes down and nodded her head. Daniel took a slow step backwards, his lips quivering from the shock. He moved his hand over his mouth and closed his eyes. "Damn it, I knew I should have just talked to her! Maybe she wouldn't have ran off!"

"What do you mean?" He slapped his hand on the wall in anger and leaned his forehead against his arm. His eyes closed tight and his hands clenched.

"We had this argument a few days ago over something so damn stupid. I-I mean it was important then, but…"

"Trivial. Don't worry Daniel, I'll bring her back."

"Safe. Got that?" He pointed at her and gave her a serious look, though his eyes were already wet with tears. He seemed he was trying to absorb this information. She was afraid to promise things to these families, because it was such a big promise to make. She couldn't tell them that the gang might wise up, she couldn't tell these people that there may just be a chance they never see their child again, but somewhere, she knew they probably already suspected that.

"I will. Just take your family, and go somewhere safe." That was all, nothing more she could say to him. She turned away and started back to the car, feeling his mournful eyes upon her. She bit her lip and felt a tear running along her cheek. It was devastating to see the siblings. The parents she could handle, but the siblings were the most difficult ones to talk to, only because of Tori. She knew what they were going through, the pain they must feel, the anger, the guilt, the hopelessness and helplessness, to the sense that all they could rely on was her to bring their siblings back.

Beck's family was easy, though she couldn't say easy as in _easy_, but easy in there was no sibling. By that same respect, the parents indeed broke down. Rick Oliver had to console his wife, who ended up bawling on the floor. Their one and only son may never come back, and when they had asked whether or not he'd been hurt, she had to tell them the truth.

From what she heard, Beck had suffered a major blow to the head. Whether it was a gunshot, a weapon, or whatever it was, there was a chance he could have suffered deeply from it. He seemed okay in the photo, but there was still the fact that his head was in bandages. His right eye was definitely covered up and there was a blood spot on the bandage over that eye. If he didn't get a doctor, he could lose vision in that eye.

Hopefully, that would be all he lost. The parents definitely agreed that if Trina brought him back alive, then that was all that mattered. They didn't care if he lost his ability to walk, if he lost his arms, if he lost his sight, they just wanted their son back in their arms. Alive.

Robbie's family reacted with pure shock, frozen and scared. His sister, just a couple years younger than he was, did mention the last time they spoke, they'd argued over his use of her pants. She said she wished he was more normal and not such an embarrassment as a brother, but she'd _gladly_ take it all back if he managed to make it out alive. His parents hardly spoke a word and his mother had fainted dead on the spot. The father merely shook his head and knelt beside his wife, praying for his son.

Everyone had their own way of mourning, sure, and they'd just been so stunned that they almost hardly reacted. Though it wasn't hard to see in their eyes, just how devastated and scared they were. The grandmother, who had been on the couch, looked ready to have a heart attack while the grandpa continued staring aimlessly at the blank television screen. A tear had scurried along his face, so it was clear he had been affected.

Andre had a little sister, the same age as Lance West, but she seemed much more mature for her age. It made since, considering Andre's grandmother. When Trina delivered the news, the Grandmother let out a shrill scream and began freaking out, Taylor Harris had to take it upon herself to calm her mom's panic fit while choking back her own tears.

Andre's father was alive, but the man was pretty much nonexistent in Andre's life. However, he was there when she visited the Harris home, and he did promise in the event of Andre's safe return, he would start being there for Andre, even extending his own hand to let Andre, Taylor, and their grandmother move in. Regina Harris, the mother, had died in 2007, so no one wanted to lose another.

The group parked behind the Wok Star, deciding to fill their stomachs before finding a place to relocate for the night. Tomorrow morning, they would start with what Trina dubbed 'Sector A', the school basement.

When they entered, they were met by a very suspicious and unfriendly atmosphere. Trina eyed the surroundings carefully and narrowed her eyes. The ceiling lights were out, but lamps over the tables were on. That made the outside area very dark and brooding. There were no customers, but the restaurant was open.

"Something doesn't seem right here?" Christy pointed out while taking a slow step back. "Does anyone else get the feeling that we're about to be attacked by a bunch of ninjas?" But Mrs. Lee _couldn't_ be affiliated with the gang, could she? She wasn't a member-crap! Trina's eyes widened and she quickly slapped her forehead.

"There was a sixth block! I neglected to read it because I was in a hurry! Mrs. Lee is the sixth captain of the gang."

"Crap!" The group turned, but the doors slammed shut. Trina clenched her fists and saw a light turn on above the hostess stand several feet away. A tall Asian woman stood in a purple, floral kimono, she was holding a large fan with black bird décor in front of her face. Her eyes were slanted and her hair in a bun. "Let me guess…"

"Mrs. Ying Lee." Ying meant clever, which perhaps, this lady was. This woman was made of evil, and every time one of Tori's friends went into the restaurant, she'd sworn to them that she'd get revenge on Tori one day. Trina cracked her neck to the side and started shrugging her shoulders. With her peripheral vision, she saw several people in ninja outfits stepping out from the dark surroundings. The ninjas were led by one tall man without the traditional Ninja mask. He had angry eyes, an aged face, and a thin moustache. It was the woman's father, Mr. Niu Lee, "Okay. It's been a while. You sure you want to do this right now? What would your daughter, or husband, think? Ying."

"That's Ms. Lee to you. 'Jackie Bonay', or should I say, _Trina Vega_." This woman's daughter was likely at home with her father. Hopefully, little Daisy didn't know what her mother was doing. Ying slapped her fan to a close and slashed it in a downward arc through the air. "Kill them!"

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><p>Now before you correct me regarding the Wok Star, yes I know the lady moved, however as I started this story before the recent episode, I've kept it with her there. Looks like Trina's got a lot of people depending upon her, a lot of weight is on her shoulders. Hope she can handle the pressure. Next chapter, all ou<em>t <em>battle with a njinja XD. Man that lady still creeps me out So will Mrs. Lee finally get her revenge? Or will her plan to take out Trina fail miserably? Stay tuned for the next battle, keep going Trina, you can do it! Case in point: Trina _really _hates ninjas.


	7. More Power!

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 7 (More Power!)<p>

There were quite a few ninjas, but the group had made quick work out of the majority of them. All that remained of the group of ninjas, were five foot ninjas that Jason, Christy, and even Sikowitz with his walking stick, were making quick work of. Trina was staring down Niu, while Ying continued to watch from her stand with growing frustration. Trina tensed her fingers and stretched her arm out, curling her hand inwards. "Come on, I know you want to."

The man turned his heel and dashed for her at almost breakneck speed. Her eyes widened and she quickly twisted her upper body to the side. Just as he passed her, she swung her arm down against his back. The man stumbled forward and twisted back, narrowing his eyes. Trina's nostrils flared out and she quickly flipped her hair back over her shoulder. She was grateful to have her hair in a ponytail, as she did _not_ need her hair clinging to her sweaty body.

She lifted her hands into the air and flipped onto them. She pushed her body off, spun 180 degrees, and flew towards Niu. She curled her left leg upwards and kicked her right leg out, pressing into the man's chest and pushing off. The man howled and flew back into one of the tables, breaking it in two. Trina landed on her feet, bent over with her fingertips pressed against the floor. She jerked her head upwards and stared down the man, waiting as he slowly rose to his feet. She needed him out cold. There was no reason to kill him, of course, even if he was acting with the vile woman waiting to dip her hand into the pot.

Heavy breaths left her lips as the man huffed and dashed for her once more. "You'd think you'd learn, charging me won't help you." She let out a powerful roar and twisted her entire body around, kicking her right leg up and swinging it towards the man. Niu's eyes widened as the heel of her foot connected with his jaw. She was certain she saw a tooth fly from his mouth as he fell for the floor. The man reached his arms back and put his hands to the ground, then flung his legs upwards and out, jumping up to his feet. He wiped his bloody mouth with his jaw and stared her down. She chuckled slightly and smirked while relaxing and clenching her hands repeatedly.

"You're incredibly durable."

"Father!" Ying Lee shouted from her stand. "More power!" Trina rolled her eyes and ignored the woman, who had been randomly shouting that for however long they'd been battling for.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I hate ninjas? No? Well guess what." She rushed forward, shouting in anger as she spread her arms out to the side. She pointed her fingers out and lunged forward, stopping just before Niu and striking him with the sides of her hands, sharply against his jugular veins in the neck. Niu's eyes rolled back and he instantly dropped to the floor, unconscious. "Yeah, I hate ninjas." It was a trick she remembered hearing from a medical instructor at the hospital once, he was teaching his students and told them that if someone were to hit the carotid, or jugular, veins, it could make them pass out. The same was said that if someone pressed on the veins long enough, the person would be rendered unconscious. "Sleep well."

She turned and started walking towards the others, they'd finished off the final bit of ninjas and all seemed very worn out. Sikowitz was okay, he had the best endurance, but his martial arts prowess was still rather limited. He couldn't perform any of the agile moves the others could, but that's where his walking stick made up for his lack of speed and agility. His power or strength, and endurance made him extremely formidable. Christy was breathing hard and still held onto her form. She was the closest to Trina in strength and speed, but her endurance could use some work. Jason was all right in the endurance and speed department, but his strength was not quite on par with the others.

As for Trina, she was the best fit all around, but the fact that she had to take time honing strength, speed, and endurance, meant simply that she was the 'Jack of all, king of none'. Sikowitz was far better in endurance than she was, Christy was far better at strength than she was, and Jason was quicker on his feet than she was. Though Sikowitz was older and more professed, he was likely much stronger than the others.

"You guys all right?" They looked at her and nodded in reply. Their eyes told the story though, Christy and Jason were incredibly shocked by what had just happened. They didn't expect the fighting to be of this nature. Sikowitz appeared to chalk it up to experience, he'd seen battles before. "Okay good, because, there's one left." She smirked subtly and turned towards Ying, who was glaring vehemently at them. The woman let out a long war cry and performed a spinning frontal flip over the hostess stand. As she landed, she twirled her fans in her hands, raising her arms upwards while the dust and dirt flew from the floor around her. Trina's voice fell flat and her arms crossed over her chest. "Show off. You should know…only _I_ can show off like that."

"Whatever. You will die here, Vega." Trina lifted her shoulders and took a step forward, moving her head left to right.

"You see, what I don't understand is…why would you participate in this? Why? You have a daughter, a husband, a _life_, and you're so willing to throw it away? There's something we're taught in martial arts, and that something is _honor_. Are you so willing to throw away your honor? So willing to disgrace your family, your _daughter_?"

"What do _you_ know of honor? Your 'perky' little sister left my daughter hanging from the ceiling! You claim to know honor?"

Jason and Christy stepped beside Trina, with her in between them. Sikowitz stepped behind them and held his walking stick down in front of him. Jason clenched his fists and sliced his arm through the air.

"She knows more of honor than you do! Working for some messed up gang, and for what? Money? Power? Fame? Glory? What _reason_ would you have left to throw everything you and your family have away?"

"Revenge…" She slowly licked her lips and glared into the eyes of Trina. "I understand your plight, and maybe your deluded sense of 'honor', you should give up and turn back before you find yourself too deep." Trina scoffed in response.

"Turn back? You really _are_ crazy."

"Well, then I hope your beloved, _darling _little sister rots in hell." Trina's eyes widened and her blood started to boil. She felt Sikowitz's eyes upon her, reminding her to not let this woman provoke her. Better to fight with justice and honor than to fight with rage. However, it couldn't be helped, those were fighting words right there.

"Trying to provoke me?" She stepped forward, clenching her fists tight. "Step back guys, I'm bringing her down." Ying laughed and spread her arms out, opening her fans wide. The fans glinted in the light and Trina soon realized that the fans were metal. This woman made her fans into a deadly weapon! The woman spun towards her and sliced her across the chest. "Shit!" She let out a loud yelp and backflipped out of the way. "Deadlier than I thought you were, I see."

"Yes, I'm sure. I knew I didn't like you the first day I set eyes on you."

"Funny. I was just thinking that!" She charged towards Ying, her eyes locked onto the fans. Ying stretched her right hand high into the air and quickly swung it down towards her. Trina's eyes widened and she quickly ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the dangerous slash. As a quick counter, she kicked backwards, striking Ying in the waist. She had to be careful with this woman. This was the good thing about teams, if it got too much, she could easily tag any one of the others. Only, who would be best?

As Ying staggered backwards, Trina took this moment to analyze her opponent, something that was always important. Speed was definitely this woman's strong suit, but she did not look very strong. However, it was best to never underestimate an opponent, she could very well be powerful.

"You bitch, that was my bad hip." The woman narrowed her gaze upon Trina and lunged forward, slashing her fans in an outward arc. Trina quickly spun around. Letting the slashes strike her back. She bent forward and kicked backwards into Ying's chest, causing the woman to fall back. She narrowed her eyes and looked to the woman with a subtle smirk. She was right, the slash had been very strong and very swift, however this woman's endurance seemed to be a problem.

She used few movements, stumbled when hit, and had to take a moment to recover. That recovery _did_ dampen her speed a bit, it would seem. As the woman shrugged off the hit, Trina took the opportunity to slide around her. She slammed a powerful fist crashing into Ying's back. Ying let out a loud yell and stumbled forward. She roared out with frustration and swirled around, but Trina dropped to the ground and slid beneath her, rising up behind her and striking her from behind with a back fist.

"Don't leave yourself so open Ms. Lee!" Ying spun around, swinging her right arm towards Trina. Trina quickly bent backwards, avoiding the slash and watching as the fan sailed overhead. As she did this, the second fan came down upon her, slashing her down the middle of her chest. She let out a loud shout and jumped backwards. She heard Jason and Christy call out for her and quickly checked the slash, it was a very shallow wound, almost a simple flesh wound. "Damn it, for something that didn't cut a whole lot, that stung like hell!"

"Yes, you avoided my sharper fan, Miss Vega." Ying held her fan in front of her face and narrowed her eyes, growling softly. "You won't be so lucky next time." Trina scoffed and took a slight step backwards, she didn't need another hit.

"Jason!" He was perfect for this. He was faster than this woman was.

"Yeah Tri?" She kept her eyes on Ying and leaned her head to the side.

"I need your help, get in here. Don't kill her, just put her out of commission as quickly as you can." Most likely he'd had plenty of time to rest, she was still a sweaty mess and wasn't too sure she could keep fighting. Her attacks were starting to slow down.

"Got it." Jason charged in and held his hand up. Trina slapped his hand and walked next to Christy. Jason narrowed his eyes upon Ying and smirked as the woman slashed her fan away from her face.

"It won't help."

"Don't be so sure. My Uncle's constant training brought me to this point." Ying lunged forward, but before she could get a slash in, Jason had already sidestepped her and was at her side. He slammed the back of his fist against her head, bent his arm inward with his elbow out, and placed his palm over his fist. Just as Ying was turning towards him, he slammed his elbow hard into her chest. She let out a loud shriek and fell backwards. Jason reached over and grabbed her wrists, holding them tight and smirking into her eyes.

"Y-You…Unhand me you fool!" She pulled back as he quickly struck the side of her fans with his hand, closing them. He gripped them and tore them from her. "You bastard!"

"Whatever you say." As she struggled some more, he brought his hand up to the side of her head and smacked her once, knocking her unconscious. He knelt and laid her down on the ground.

Trina moved towards him and stared down at the woman. "Great. I suppose I didn't think about what would happen from this point." Jason looked up at her and rose, studying her carefully.

"Are you all right? Looks like you took a beating from that."

"Some rest and I'll be just fine. Thanks for your help, and concern." She smiled back at him and turned her attention to the doors. There was no backdoor to the restaurant, just a pair of double doors. They could put a bar in the handles, locking the bad guys inside. "Okay…I think if we put a bar in the handles we can lock them in, I'm not sure."

"We did bring ample rope," Sikowitz stated. "I'm not sure how many of the ninjas matter." There were approximately fifteen ninjas lying around, not including Ying and her father. "Surely we can tie all of their wrists together. I assume the police will be on their way soon."

"Right. I guess I have a note to write, since I'm pretty sure the Assistant Chief is taking over the investigation. Either way, let's stop at a motel for the night…I wonder how Ms. Lee will like prison…it seems fitting for her."

"I agree," Christy added. She kicked the fans to the door and tapped her chin, studying them carefully. "You think we could have use for those things?"

"What? Those cheap little fans? You have a sword that cuts deeper than those things ever will."

"True…Maybe Jason could use them." She smirked and Jason quickly shot her a glare. Trina laughed slightly and waved her hand in the air.

"Come on guys, let's get to work. I really just want to get to some motel, sleep, and wake up tomorrow morning." They were going to get started bright and early, so there was no need to stay awake all night. Jason studied the ninjas on the ground and started moving towards the door.

"I'll grab the rope." Trina pondered whether they could just buy a bunch of handcuffs and make it easier on themselves. Surely that would work, and handcuffs came cheap. Then again, cops probably wouldn't have the key that went with them unless she left the key in a note designated for Assist. Chief Michael. If that didn't work, then they needed _something_ that was better than rope.

Michael and the Chief of Police, Warren Abrams, entered the restaurant with police waiting outside. They knew it was fully necessary to investigate first, in the event Trina left behind anything for them. When they entered, the lights had been clicked on and to their shock, they saw several ninjas scattered across the floor, all were unconscious, either that or asleep.

When they heard shouting, they looked up and snickered. Ying and Niu were tied together and were hanging from the ceiling rafters. "Get us down!" Ying shouted with rage. Michael clicked his tongue and met Warren's gaze.

"Get the feeling Trina came by here?"

"I do," Warren said with a mild chuckle. "Go alert the officers, bring them in, time to arrest the ninjas. I'll take a look at the restaurant's security cameras, let's see what happened here."

"Got it."

* * *

><p>Well, I think that's the <em>nicest<em> save that the gang leaders are going to get from Trina's group. From here, it gets tenser, more dangerous, prepare for lots of action. Note that neither Michael or Warren will betray the group.


	8. Try and Sleep

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 8 (Try and Sleep)<p>

Trina stood with her back to the bathroom mirror of a Knights Inn motel room, she was looking over her shoulder with her hands on her shoulders. Christy was leaning against the closed door, it was good thinking to pack a first aid kit with a bunch of medical supplies. "They don't look so bad, Christy. I have plenty more suits like that last one, stores are great for that…" Christy took the hydrogen peroxide spray and Trina lowered her arm. "Do your work, I guess."

"My mom works in medicine, so I know from watching her, how to fix these things." She sprayed the wounds and Trina yelped painfully. Christy inspected the wounds and reached to the large kit on the counter. They only had to apply a strip of gauze bandaging and some adhesive tape. The wounds were relatively small, though still bigger than mere cuts and scratches. "Lucky that woman's fans weren't all that sharp, I guess the weapons the bad guys use can only get worse from here." Trina pulled her hair up and held it on the top of her head while Christy did her work.

"Yeah, I can only wonder what'll happen if we aren't more careful." She didn't need anyone getting shot, though they were sure guns were probably going to be used. However, from the sounds that she heard on the tape, the majority of this gang didn't necessarily use guns. It was only the lesser street thugs that did. "Maybe they just use guns for execution purposes…"

"We can hope. Sikowitz might be able to help with bullet wounds. I figure hospitals would just try to hold us there if we went in with battle wounds." She thought about that and lifted her eyes up as Christy moved to the wounds on her front side. What could they do for greater wounds that were out of Christy's realm of knowledge? "Maybe we need some armor, like a bulletproof vest." Though those could only work for so long. One more, Christy sprayed her wounds and she winced as the sting ripped through her. "Jesus that burns more than the woman's slashes did."

"Well that's just because of the adrenaline." The girl reached once more for the bandage and tape. "You remember that old cartoon, Kim Possible?" Trina raised an eyebrow and nodded her head to the side, she enjoyed the show when she was a kid.

"That girl kicked a lot of ass, but it was a cartoon."

"Still, not bad to learn from it. Same for martial arts movies like _Rush Hour._ Which…I think the guys are watching in the other room…" Trina laughed and looked towards the bathroom door. They all had one motel room for the night, no sense in paying for two. The girls were to share a bed and the guys were to share a bed, much to Jason's disdain, but he couldn't sleep with either of the girls. "Anyway, I'm just saying, it can't be all that hard to do this, and now that we just took out Ms. Lee back there, we really _can't_ turn back now."

"Yeah, about that." Trina walked past her friend and grabbed her robe from the corner of the towel rack. It was a white black bathrobe with a red belt. "I'm really sorry for dragging you into this, Christy. I feel like…I feel like this is my battle, not yours." She bowed her head and stared at the floor with a guilty anger. The others were at risk because of her, if something happened to them, it was all on her hands. "After talking to the families, I realized that…all these people are counting on me to bring their loved ones back. Then there's you, Jason, and Mr. Sikowitz. If something happens to you guys…you're my best friend, and I may have already lost my sister and my parents, I can't lose you too."

Christy smiled gently and brought her hand to Trina's shoulder. She lifted her eyes to Christy's and smiled back at her, though only with sadness. "Trina, I know you're feeling bad about this whole thing. I know you're hurting, Jason knows you're hurting, and Tori was very much a sister to us because she was _your_ sister. We're fighting for her too, we're fighting for your mom and dad as well, especially on my side. Those two were like my second family! Sure, I dated Robbie briefly and Jason had a date with Cat, those connections also make us want to save them too, and the friends. Trina. Even if you tried to turn us away, you couldn't do it."

"Oh, really now…"

"Yeah, cause we'd be _right there_ beside you the whole time, and we will be." Trina's heart started to rise up and a new hope spun inside her. She was so nervous that she did want to tell them to go back home, she thought they'd be safest that way. Christy smiled into her eyes and breathed out softly. Her voice relaxed and her eyelids fell halfway. "Look at it this way. When we're out there fighting these freaks, you actually _can_ stop them from killing us as we can stop them from killing you." Trina chuckled softly as Christy's lip curled into a smirk.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true. At least I know whether or not you're safe. Can't say that for Tori's friends, for their families, or for my parents…"

"No, we can't say that. We don't know if we'll find them alive or dead at this point." Her blood chilled and once more she felt like crying, but held back any tears she might have waiting to escape. "But we _can_ try everything possible to save them, to take out this gang before anyone else gets hurt. You told each of the friends' families to leave town, so we just have to trust that they will heed your advice. We have to have faith that we'll find everyone safe. Believe me, things have a funny way of working out."

"I hope so. As for now, I just need to rest…We'll get started bright and early tomorrow. Maybe after breakfast, if we have time for the continental." Christy chuckled and hugged her tight. She winced as her wounds squeezed. Her friend quickly let go and apologized. Trina laughed and started walking by her. "It's all right, just don't squeeze so hard."

"Yeah, I'll try and remember that." As the girls left the bathroom, they saw Sikowitz watching the television, his eyes firmly glued to the screen. Jason was going through his suitcase to see what to wear for tomorrow. He looked up at the girls and crossed his arms over.

"What kind of _evil_ person makes me sleep with my uncle!" Sikowitz muttered something while the girls laughed. Trina curled her lip into a smirk and moved towards him, playfully tapping the side of his face.

"Who knows Jason, maybe there's some master controller out there deciding your every move and fate, and doesn't want you to sleep with us ladies." Jason sighed and Christy laughed again. "Or maybe, it just works out better that you don't sleep with us girls."

"Yeah I know, I'm just saying…" Sikowitz moved his eyes over to the others and straightened himself on the edge of the bed.

"You could always sleep in those wicker chairs near the window. Now hush, the news is on." The others turned their attention to the television and sat on the edges of the beds. The reporter was outside the Wok Star, where several police cruisers rested, pulling several ninjas from the restaurant. Sikowitz chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. "I'd say they got our present."

_"I'm Journalist Alyssa Tate reporting here where the police have begun their war against the up and coming gang 'The Blood Assassins', otherwise known as 'Los Asesinos de Sangre'. Chief Abrams has refused to release any information to the public regarding this fight between the gang and the police, but this just in, he has ordered every officer to arrest anyone associated with this gang."_

_ Alyssa turned in the rain as an officer pulled Ms. Lee from the building, his hand gripped her arm. Her hands were handcuffed behind her back and her face was twisted in anger. The reporter gasped and turned to the camera. "It is Ying Lee! Ying Lee, the owner of Wok Star is mixed up with the Assassins!" Deputy Chief Michael walked into the view of the camera next to Alyssa and furrowed his brow._

_ "What is this? Why are you still here?"_

_ "Sir, can you explain what happened here?" Alyssa moved her microphone to Michael as cameras flashed around them. He groaned and shielded his eyes from the flashes. "A battle was fought here, was it not?"_

_ "Yes. Between the gang and the police. That is all that you need to know. The police will be taking out the Assassins. We have been investigating them for the past year now, and as of last week, the police force has decided that this group is far too dangerous to let loose on the streets. In the up and coming days, we urge everyone to stay inside or leave town."_

_ "What do you know of the Assassins?"_

_ "They are still under investigation. We do not know who is in charge, we do not know if they have demands. We can only say that the LAPD will make these streets safe again." Alyssa nodded and closed her eyes for a brief moment._

_ "You say the police fought these people inside, how did you discover that they were involved?"_

_ "Well…" Michael crumpled up a small sheet of paper in his left hand and pushed it into his pocket. Trina's note. She had told him the things she thought he ought to say to the media. "Chief Abrams and I were inside having a meal with some fellow officers when we overheard a group of waiters discussing the Assassins, once they referred to Ms. Lee as the one in charge, we began asking questions. That's when they attacked, so we called for backup. You do not need to know anything more. Now let us do our work." _

Trina smiled pleasantly as she crawled underneath the covers of the bed closest to the window. "Good, this way the gang will not think I'm involved with the police.." Though she did question whether the gang members would attempt to ask Ying or Sinjin what really went down.

Sikowitz rested his elbows on his legs and clasped his hands together in front of his face. He rested his chin atop his fingers and narrowed his eyes on the screen. "The will learn of your involvement eventually. Even Michael and Warren will not be able to lie to the media after a while. Our involvement will undoubtedly be discovered, but hopefully, just in time to save the gang."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure the gang will get my message to them after a while, that if they harm anyone else, things will only get worse." She did want to meet up with Michael or Warren at some point of time, but she didn't know if that would be possible. Maybe in secret. "Anyway guys, let's get some good rest. I…appreciate all your help, just so you know." The others looked to her with smiles as she rolled over in the bed, her back to them.

She stared out at the window and clasped her blankets to her chest. The television shut off and the bed shook a bit as Christy moved under the covers on her side. The lights went out, leaving their only source of light coming from the moon outside. She stared up at the moon and let her thoughts wander. She was sure she heard the others saying their goodnights, but she didn't join in.

Her eyes started to water as her thoughts turned to the image the gang had sent to her. She hadn't really paid attention to the others. The families would get their loved ones back, but chances were, they wouldn't return the same. Nothing could ever be the same again.

Silent sobs left her when she thought of Tori and her parents. She usually would hold her small stuffed Gingham Dog that she'd named Snowflake, a stuffed animal she'd owned since she was just two years old. It always comforted her whenever she was going through serious pain, but now, she didn't have her. The dog was still lying on her bed back home, a place she couldn't go back to.

Her entire body quaked with sorrow and rage as she relived the events of earlier in the day when she returned home. Why hadn't she heard her phone ringing? Why couldn't she be there? Had she known anything was happening, she could have rushed there and saved her family couldn't she? Maybe, or maybe she would have been overwhelmed and taken with them. God, she would give anything to have been the one taken or killed, not Tori. Why did it have to be Tori? Why was she alive instead? Why was she safe? There had to be a reason for this.

On the small brown table in the corner, the two wicker chairs nestled next to it, the necklace glinted in the moonlight. All of this, due to a necklace. No. Not the necklace, a fucking chip inside a necklace. Innocent Tori, didn't even know why they would have hurt her.

Was she pissed? Yeah, she was pissed. It took a lot of self control not to go on a murderous rampage. Though rampage, she would do. If she did kill anyone, well, it they would have it coming. Tomorrow would be the start of a new day. Tomorrow, Damian and Sector A of the Assassins would be crippled. He was already down a Lieutenant, after all. As for tonight, she would have to do her best to go to sleep. If sleep was even possible.

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><p>Tomorrow will be a new day. Let's see what tomorrow holds. Let me know your thoughts of this chapter<p> 


	9. Avenged

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 9 (Avenged)<p>

"Rise and shine, Trina!" Trina moaned and waved her hand through the air, but that was her mistake, as she soon found herself colliding with the floor. She let out a shout and looked up to see Sikowitz and Christy smirking down at her. She heard the shower running and looked around, Jason wasn't around. She sighed heavily and looked to her best friend. Christy's hair was wet and she smelled fresh and clean. She groaned and rubbed her head.

"Thanks for the wakeup call…" After she rose to her feet she saw her jumpsuit lying on the edge of the bed, the slashes in it had been sewn together. "Someone sewed up my suit?" Christy nodded and grinned brightly.

"One of the maids knew how to sew, so she went ahead and patched it up good as new. Anyway, Jason's taking his shower, I've taken mine, so you're all that's left." Lovely, taking a shower last did _not_ bode well. "After that, we're all heading down to the lobby for the continental breakfast. Then I guess, we're heading out to the school?"

"Yeah, how are things looking outside?"

"The police have already waged their war," Sikowitz commented as he rose from his bed. "There are a lot of gang fights with the police going on, has been like that all night. Pretty sure we won't have to worry too much about being spotted, the attention is on the police, not us."

"Good, then that means the sector leaders may be at their stations." She rubbed her forehead and started her morning stretches. "I barely got any sleep last night, so a hot shower will be good nonetheless." The two agreed and looked towards the door. The shower stopped running. Everyone usually took five to ten minute showers, especially now, it was best to just hurry and move. They had already discussed that yesterday. "You guys go on ahead and have your breakfast, I won't be long." Christy glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? We don't mind waiting."

"No, go on ahead. Besides, when I'm done I'll grab some breakfast and eat on the road, there's no point in hanging around too long."

"All right then, we'll see you in a little bit." She smiled and watched as they made their way out. She breathed in and slowly walked around the bed, she moved her hands along her suit and pressed her lips together. She continued to gaze at the places where the maid had sewn the holes back together. The bathroom door opened and she looked up to see Jason walking out. He was wearing a short sleeved black t-shirt and jeans that stopped at his ankles. She gave him a soft smile as he walked up to her.

"Good morning Tri, the others leave?"

"Yeah, they went to get some breakfast. This is probably going to be a long day…"

"We'll need our strength." He turned his gaze to the outfit and ran his fingers along the sutures. "Christy found the maid, the lady did a pretty good job."

"Yeah…" She wanted to thank the woman, but in truth, she couldn't even think about the holes or the sewing job that was done. All she could think about was her fear, the fear that she would soon be an orphan, that she was soon to lose her entire family. Jason looked to her with a sad smile, he knew how it felt to lose family. His father died in some job related accident years ago and his mother was murdered by some gang member a year later, an unrelated gang than the one they were up against now. However, that same thing, was part of what fueled his desire to destroy this gang here.

"Trina. We'll find them, I promise. Christy, my uncle, and even I won't rest until we find your family." So familiar that promise was, the same promise she'd made to the families of Tori's friends. Her lips turned up and her eyes met his for a brief moment.

"Jason, can I ask…how did your mom pass? I remember you saying it was gang related…" She saw his expression tense, then relax. He sat on the side of the bed and she slowly moved beside him. "Sorry if I'm bringing up any painful memories there."

"You're fine. It was back in 2004. My mom was at the local farmer's market, which wasn't in the best neighborhood of course." She nodded and watched him tense up, recalling the memory. He was only about twelve then, so sudden for someone so young. She slowly moved her hand over his, a comforting gesture. He smiled at her and closed his eyes, relaxing his muscles. "Mom had this thing about always trying to buy the healthiest foods, and that farmers market was where they were. She was in the wrong place…"

"What happened?"

"The manager stiffed a member of some group, gang member, and there was this drive by…" His body started to tremble and he moved his free hand to his eyes, rubbing them with his fingers. Trina moved her eyes to the door, imagining his mother, an innocent victim, just as her sister was. She slowly reached around his shoulders and leaned her head onto him.

"It's okay Jason…" He breathed in and lowered his hand, slowly closing it and clenching his jaw.

"She was standing in the window, in front of the apples. She saw the car, but she…she couldn't do anything." Trina's heart fell to pieces as she imagined his mother, standing in front of that window, bullets spraying into it. She put her hand to her chest and slowly closed her eyes. How could he have known exactly what happened, unless, unless he was there? Her eyes widened and she looked to him with a frown. "The manager survived, but my mom…god…"

"Don't tell me…you were there…"

"She could never leave me home alone, Trina. She never had the heart to do that. I bugged her about buying some apples for some stupid prank at school. If I hadn't done that, then maybe…just maybe…"

"It wasn't your fault, Jason. I promise you, it wasn't your fault. You had no way of knowing what would happen, neither did she."

"Yeah. Sometimes it's just difficult, and then my Uncle's got me training so hard now, it's almost like he expects me to try and avenge her one day. I don't see that happening."

"You never know." She gently squeezed his hand and closed her eyes. "I'm here for you. You guys are here for me, so I'm here for you. We'll get through this together, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah we will." She could sit there all day, as comfortable as his shoulder was, but they had work to do. There was no time to rest, never any time. He understood that concept well. "Trina. Go ahead and take your shower, I'm going to join the others for breakfast…"

"Right. I'll see you guys soon."

"Tri, thanks."

"I should probably say that." She smirked subtly and he let out a low chuckle. Once she released him, he waved at her and started out the door. She took a deep breath and turned her gaze towards the window of the motel room. The sun was shining bright onto the necklace, a reminder that her time was probably limited. Now, it was absolutely vital that she get this job done before she lost the rest of her family.

Sikowitz parked his van in the parking lot of the school, it was desolate and empty, a surprise considering it was February 7th, a school day. The teacher sighed and looked back at the others with eyebrows arched. "To think, I wanted to call up the principal and told him I was unable to come in, looks like that doesn't matter much now." After Michael's warning on the news, surely the city was heeding that rather well. Trina leaned forward and shrugged her shoulders.

"Less problems to worry about then, I'd hate to drag any innocents into this." The thing that was depressing regarding this gang, they were just too damned stupid to take out video cameras. Everything that happened at the Wok Star had been seen, everything that happened at the Vega home had been seen, and now everything that happened at school would likely be seen by the police. Times like these, Trina was thankful that she had technology on her side.

"Something I wonder," Christy remarked while grabbing her sword from the back. "Damian is like…twenty-one or twenty-two, so why the hell is he still in school? I mean, sure he's a gang member, so maybe that's one thing, but it just doesn't seem right…"

"Probably like that because he's the leader of his own sector. It would seem strange for someone who wasn't either a student or teacher to be going to the school every day." The others agreed and left the car. They needed to be careful, needed to be stealthy enough to not attract too much attention. Trina glanced at the sword at Christy's hip and pointed. Her friend shrugged and smirked slightly.

"I learned my lesson last night, I'm carrying this thing with me."

"Good idea."

Once inside, they were surprised to find that the halls were completely empty, they were expecting a few gang members hanging around. They didn't let that bring their guard down, however. There was always a chance for an ambush. If so, they needed to be fully prepared.

They moved through the halls very silently, peeking around every corner to make sure no one was waiting around for them. Eventually they reached the double doors that led down into the basement area, now they would expect villains.

They opened up the doors and slowly descended the stairs, they heard many people talking, then Damian's voice. Apparently this was a meeting, which explained why there were no gang members upstairs. "Okay, the police have arrested Sinjin, as well as the entire Ninja sector. Now might be a good time to elect ourselves a new lieutenant." Trina poked her head around the corner, Damian was talking to a group of about twenty men and women. "I have five of you in mind. So I want you up here, you will fight each other and the last one standing will be my next lieutenant."

"What a bastard," Jason whispered, his eyes narrowed. Trina slowly nodded and clicked her tongue. It was irritating to think that Damian would be so evil to make his own men kill each other for a rank. What kind of system was he running?

They decided to wait as Damian called up his five potential lieutenants. They each started fighting one another, they were using knives against one another. Eventually one man reigned supreme, but he was so blood ridden that he looked ready to curl up and die. Sikowitz lifted his eyebrows and chuckled. "Well. That lessens the number of enemies for a while."

"Now that the fight has been decided…" Damian's eyes drifted to the side and narrowed, his face twisted with wrath as his lips curved into a very sly grin. "I think we should introduce ourselves to our guests." Trina's eyes widened as Damian turned towards the stairs. His gang members turned to them and the group groaned, how did he know they were even there? "You thought I wouldn't notice the doors opening? Come down here, let's have a little chat, I'd love to speak with the woman who sent Sinjin away."

"Flattered." Trina slowly walked down the steps, Jason and the others followed carefully behind her. Damian held his hand up for his members to remain at ease, he'd give the cue to attack. She didn't realize Damian would have known about what happened, but chances were it was obvious to him. After all, Sinjin being sent to the Vega house to take her out, then being arrested from the home? Damian moved towards her and held his smirk.

"I think a gorgeous woman such as yourself…" Jason cleared his throat and Trina curved the corner of her lip up. "Would be a great addition to our gang. Perhaps even a better Lieutenant, especially if you took out Sinjin."

"I don't know that I can consider that offer, Damian. You're just not my type." She playfully flipped her hair over her shoulder and heard Jason stifle a laugh. "I prefer my men to be not on drugs and not part of an evil group that threatens my family."

"Ah yes…about that…" He rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes. "You see, the Assassins have promised not to do anymore harm to your family and friends until you hand over the chip. Once you hand over the chip, we'll hand over the hostages."

"And then what, kill us all?"

"Well, if you want to put it like that…maybe we don't have to deal like that, maybe I can convince them to release everyone regardless, but you'd have to do something for me." Trina raised an eyebrow as his eyes scanned her body. He licked his lips and she shuddered inwardly. She noticed Jason tapping his foot on the ground, his eyes were locked onto Damian and were filled with rage. He looked ready to snap the guy's neck in two.

"And what would you have me do, Damian? What would it take to bring my family home?" Jason looked at her and his lips parted briefly.

"You're joking, dealing with the enemy?"

"Hold it Jason." She took a step forward and closed her hands tight. "What do you suggest?"

"Well, I might just be convinced if you gave me a little…_attention_." What he was suggesting, there was no way in hell she'd ever consider it. "Hold on one moment." Damian turned his attention to Sikowitz and Jason, his lip curled into a smirk. "The _teacher_? Then that man beside him, seems familiar…" He tapped his chin and grinned widely. "Oh yeah, the old gang I was a part of…I was new to that gang then." Trina froze and Jason continued glaring at him. "I was the one who checked the farmer's market after the drive by."

"What?" Trina turned her gaze over her shoulder, growling vehemently. Was this a mental attack? Was he trying to get into their minds or something?

"Yeah, I remember the kid, bawling over his mother's body bullet ripped, blood ridden body." Jason twitched and his muscles started to flare up as the blood in him boiled. "The manager ran out, so I had to go after him, I always thought I should have killed you." Trina snapped at him, hissing darkly as Damian took a slight step back, laughing once.

"You _asshole_, you'd better shut your mouth before I shut it for you!" The other gang members nearby reached over and grabbed her arms so she couldn't strike him. She grunted and looked back. "You got to the count of ten to take your hands _off_ me." Damian smirked and looked to Jason, pointing at Trina.

"Is this your woman or something?" Trina raised an eyebrow and Christy quickly placed her hand to the handle of her sword. Sikowitz tapped his walking stick on the ground and Jason started shaking with anger. "Maybe not, maybe so, maybe you got a thing for her, she seems to care about you." He narrowed his eyes and whipped a switchblade from his pocket, then stretched his arm out, putting the blade to her neck. She _despised_ being in this situation, and the moment she got free from these people, they were _dead_. "I'll think of your face and laugh as I ram her, then slice her body to bits."

"_Excuse_ me?" Trina felt her anger spike and she quickly turned her gaze to Jason. "Okay, that's it, I'm done talking. Jason, remember what I said earlier about avenging your mother one day?" He met her gaze and slowly nodded his head. She curled her lip into a smirk and tilted her head. "This disgusting bastard is all yours."

"Huh?" He looked over just as Jason charged and tackled him to the ground. One gang member ran towards Trina to attack her, but she kicked her legs upwards and out, slamming them into the gang member's chest. Christy charged forward, slashing her blade outwards and slashed the man to Trina's right in the back. The man fell to the floor and Trina swung her now free hand into the other man's throat, knocking him to the ground.

"Thank you!" She looked over and saw Sikowitz in a mid squat form with his stick gripped in his two hands. As the gang members surrounded him, he proceeded to skillfully swing the stick around, smacking them in their chest, their legs, their heads, and generally wherever he found a sensitive vital part of their body.

Jason stared down Damian's now bloody face, his fists were clenched and his teeth were shown in a vicious snarl. Damian tilted his head and spun his blade among his fingers. "Aw did I strike a sore spot? You don't like being reminded of mommy? Maybe I'll let you join her, just as I'll let Trina join her little sister."

"You _shut up!_" Damian tilted his head back and laughed. Sikowitz glanced over and shouted out to Jason. Jason had been slashed during the first minute of the fight, along the arms and the chest. This was beginning to turn into one big mess.

"Do not let him provoke you! That is all part of the enemy's plan. To provoke, it shows a weak spot. You cannot fight blinded with anger, only with a clear mind."

"Clear mind, Uncle? Really?"

"Remember, she was my brother's wife. I have reason to be angry as well, but I am focused." He whipped his stick around, striking another gang member in the neck. "Instead of clouding your mind with thoughts of rage, focus on your opponent, focus all your anger, keep it from becoming your weakness, and turn it into your _strength!_"

_"Turn them into my strength?"_ He stared at Damian, who was sneering and continuing to twirl that switchblade in his hand. He slowly closed his eyes and recalled the vicious attack that killed his mother. His face twitched and he slowly moved in an upright standing position. _"Mom…"_ As he listened to the battle all around him, he fought to tune them out.

What were they fighting for? _Tori, Cat, Jade. _The friends were somewhere, possibly frightened, they had no reason for being there. He slowly opened his eyes and stared at Damian. That man held his blade at Trina's neck. She could handle herself, but that move right there, was destined to be his last.

Jason kept his focus on the man and moved into fighting stance. He lowered into a squat with his right leg in front and his left leg behind. _Like a mountain, immovable. _He jerked his arms out and bent them upright, closing his hands in front of his face. _No openings. Focus. Watch your opponent, who is he? What is his status?_

_ Thug. With a knife._

Damian was nothing. Jason could easily disarm him. All he was, was a thug with a very messy way of fighting. He was open everywhere, not very trained in the fine art of fighting. He hadn't gone through the years of training that his uncle put him through. No. Damian was weaker. He wasn't to be underestimated, but the lack of righteousness made him weak.

Damian mocked him, laughed at him. "Look at you, _posing_. You expect me to be intimidated by that?"

"Intimidated? No." He cracked his neck to the side and narrowed his eyes. "Frightened? Not at all. You cannot move me, and I will take you down."

"What?" He let out a loud guffaw and grinned widely. "Oh it is going to be so much fun running you through! Damian lunged for him, stretching his arm out to slash. Thinking fast, Jason moved his right arm out, grabbed Damian's wrist, and spun him into a wall. "Fuck!"

"I told you…" Damian rose once more and charged towards him. Jason quickly centered his body and jumped into the air, kicking his right leg out into Damian's jaw. The man scrambled backwards and shot him a murderous glare. "You can't beat me, you're weaker than I am."

"Fuck you!" Damian swiped his nose and once more ran for Jason. "You're pissing me off!"

"This one's for my mother." He lowered himself and rose up, delivering a powerful uppercut to the man's jaw. With a painful yell, Damian practically flew backwards, crashing into the ground. He threw his knife into the air upon impact and slowly opened his eyes as it started falling. Jason turned his back to Damian and closed his eyes just as the knife slashed into his chest. Damian's body jerked and his arms slammed against the floor.

Trina looked over as the last few gang members were knocked to the ground. Blood littered the area, mostly due to Christy's sword. She tried to avoid killing any gang members, but one or two may not have survived. Trina's eyes moved from the bloody pool forming around Damian's body and drifted to Jason. She slowly moved to him and put her hand to his shoulder. "Jason…" He looked up to her and smiled sadly.

"You probably want to leave a note for the Chief…I need some air." She lowered her arm and watched as he moved towards the stairs. Her heart sank as she turned her gaze towards Damian's body one final time. At least, no one couldn't say he didn't have it coming.

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><p>Well, a lot learned here, let me know your thoughts.<p> 


	10. Concerns Answered in a creative way! KQ

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N: This is my response to anon reviews, which right now is only Karate Queen, but here we go. Karate Queen, I'm sorry, I keep forgetting to reply. I can only reply within story, so it's hard to do, so here goes. I'm going to respond to your reviews one by one here. Anyone else can read for info, but instead of making this a response, I'm going to do this in a..._fun_ way….I'm going to have the characters respond as though they are actors in this movie of theirs. So HERE!

Forgive this moment of out of character-ness for everyone. This _isn't_ an actual chapter, just a response to my anonymous reviewer. I may throw in some brief teasers of future chapters, I may not, that remains to be seen

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><p>Chapter X (KarateQueen)<p>

Trina, Sikowitz, Jason, and Christy sat at a circular table with their fellow co-stars. Chief Michael sat alongside Tori, Sinjin and Ying Lee, all were here to help discuss the commentary of their reviewers. Mostly, however, they were responding to the reviewer, Karate Queen.

"I have to say, I love that name, Karate Queen," Trina said while tapping her cards on the table. "I wonder if I can't claim that name _myself_?"

"Pride begets a fall," Sikowitz said with a subtle smirk. "Before we begin, I'd like to give a shout out and thanks to _all_ of our fans. That is, Boris Yeltsin, love that guy! Sealing-"

"That's SeaIng," Tori corrected. "And why am I over here next to both Sinjin and Ying? Seriously? Is this to represent the fact that I'm…never mind…carry on." The others chuckled nervously as Sinjin and Ying slowly shook their heads. A glimmer of knowing shone in their eyes while Tori slowly moved to the side. "Who else?"

"There's Pinkbull115LovesBrina-"

"Is that referencing to what or whom I think it is?" Jason remarked with a flat tone. Trina started to pale and quickly shook her head. He crossed his arms over and let a small growl escape his throat. Sikowitz rolled his eyes and shifted through the envelopes in his hand, continuing.

"BigStuOU, James008, and another person who _isn't_ anonymous, but their name is 'Anon'! Also we can't forget Jeremy Shane." The characters all murmured to themselves while Sikowitz slowly shook his head. "We appreciate _everyone's _comments! Now moving on to Karate Queen. Her first statement is…"

_Wow. That was totally epical! I like the fact that they did have somewhat of a struggle, that the fight scenes made sense (w/ the exception of a few things), it wasnt cheesy but was still like a martial arts movie, and the characters are belivable (i like that you brought up Trina's canon personality by having her say "you should know im the only one that can show off"). Any wh, this is an amazing fic, its clear concise interesting and has a well developed plot and characters thata arent to complex. I would like to see more of the girl's(sorry i cant remember her name right now) backstory though. Now for the generic part: please update soon! You can look forward to more reviews from me! And sorry if anonymous reviews bother you, i forgot my username somehow and i cant make one for another month or so due to computer problems(this is from my fone). I will always refer to myself as karatequeen kk? Please respond to this! I wanna know what you think!_

"She misspelled 'phone'," Ying remarked.

"As if it matters," Tori chided. Ying glared at her and she quickly flinched, leaning in towards Michael. "Chief Michael? Help."

"Oh come on, I hardly think you have to worry about _me_ when you have _Sinjin_ right next to you!" Sinjin smirked and wagged his brows. Tori started to turn ghost white and Trina's eye twitched dramatically. Ying smirked triumphantly as Sinjin propped his feet up on the table and leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. He clicked his heels and concealed daggers popped out from the soles.

"Shoe knives, they exist in the mafia, look them up," He bragged. Ying started to smack him upside the head, but stopped, flinching as he looked towards her. She put her hands in her lap and sighed.

"Moving on. A struggle? Yes they struggled, they were going up against my _ninjas!_"

"They weren't that hard to kill," Christy said with a slight shrug. She would be lying if she said it _wasn't_ a struggle, but at the very least, ninjas were still annoying as hell. "And as for Trina's showy personality? Yeah, she's a showoff. Big one at that. Also, 'the girl' you're referring to, I think that's me?"

"I'm pretty sure it's you," Trina replied. "Christy doesn't have much of a back story to focus on. There are some facts that we need to talk to you about regarding Christy and Jason, _however_, that's to be addressed in a different one of your fan mail letters." She paused and looked over to Sinjin, who was swaying his feet from side to side. "Sinjin, please remove your boot knives from the table." He flashed a smirk and pulled his feet away, leaning forward.

"Whatever you say. By the way, I'd like to point this fact out for anyone to think about. There's a condition called 'Dextrocardia', in which the heart is located on the right side of the chest. The condition in which all major organs, such as the heart, lungs, and so forth are a mirror image in the chest, which all are reversed, is Situs Inversus. Dextrocardia is a _rare_ condition, and it isn't overly serious. People who are shot, or stabbed, or have some kind of wound in the left side tend to be able to survive if they have Dextrocardia…keep this in mind…"

"Oh shut up Sinjin, there's nothing to think about! We're trying to answer fan mail here!"

"I'm just saying-"

"Shut it! Now, we _love_ anonymous reviews! It's just difficult to respond, as you can see, and we decided to do this special thing just for you! You've had questions and points in each of your letters that simply _need_ to be addressed! Now we did find a username on this site named Karate Queen, but the user has been around for a couple years, I think they have a story up, and their profile's not been updated for a while. Had the thought to send them a message, but didn't, because we didn't know for sure if that would be the same person."

"Better to be safe than sorry," Michael replied. He turned his head to Ying and Sinjin. "They're here because I am and they're both in custody at the moment. How the hell Sinjin got those shoes, I'm not sure…Anyway, Karate, feel free to respond as much as you like!"

"Yes," Ying said with her lips curling upwards. "Please do, it makes…well it makes the good guys happy. We villains feel neglected though, and abused, only because um…" Tori grinned and crossed her arms, closing her eyes and nodding with proud certainty.

"You get your asses handed to you by my sister!"

"Oh shut up. Why is she even here?"

"Even I don't know that. Aren't I dead at this point?"

"Well you're still an actor," Sinjin replied casually. "Next fan mail from Karate Queen, pick it up."

_Karatequeen  
><em>_3/3/12 . chapter 8 _

_Thank you for putting in a chapter that informs us as to what's going on w/ the police, what the main characters are feeling, and what's going to happen next. I look forward to the next installment. Please update soon!_

"What's going on with the police, Chief Michael? Do you have any information that doesn't count as a spoiler?"

"Nope," Michael stated clearly. There were no secrets where the police were regarded, not where he was concerned. Nothing got past him that he wasn't aware of, and if anything did, he usually found out. "The police will _not_ betray Trina and her friends, I can tell you that. Warren and I are on her side. While there _may_ be a betrayal from someone unmentioned, at this point, it will not be anyone within the police."

"Good to know, sucks though that the bosses didn't think to use any dirty cops. However, I'm sure some people could be more than capable of dealing with the police if needed."

"In your dreams, Sinjin."

"Whatever you say. _Next_!"

"This is the most recent letter," Christy said as she held up an envelope. Her eyes darted along the words while Jason read over her shoulder, grimacing at the assumed _OC_ characterization.

_Karatequeen  
><em>_3/7/12 . chapter 9 _

_Wow! Great chapter! Poor jason, at least he avenged his mother. Damian totally had it coming! I can't believe they killed people! Well, i can cause i kinda saw it coming, but i thought it would be farther down the road. Love the fact that we got to learn more about one of the OCs. I Hope to see Christy doing some pretty badarse stuff w/ that sword in future chapters! Anywho, great chapter update soon!_

"Not an OC," Jason said while moving his finger in between himself and Christy. Sikowitz firmly nodded his head while Trina started to laugh. Christy and Jason both glared at her while Michael snickered.

"I am an OC," Michael remarked. "There _are_ going to be OCs in this story, but usually the author here doesn't like to use OCs as main characters if he can avoid it. If you remember the 'Christmas Tori' episode well, then you'll remember the gift Beck got for Robbie."

"He found Robbie's childhood bully," Christy said as she pointed her finger to her chest. "That's where I come in. Robbie was supposed to tell me off, but instead, we ended up going on a date. Now for Jason…"

"I am _literally_ Uncle Sikowitz's nephew. If you recall the episode where everyone had that continuous acting exercise at Uncle Sikowitz's home, and anyone who broke character had to leave, then you will remember me." He exhaled softly and glanced over to Trina, who was nodding her head. "When Cat broke character, Tori didn't, she wanted to, but instead remained in character while Cat broke hers and commented on my appearance…we then proceeded to go out to the movies while the others remained with my Uncle."

"Precisely," Sikowitz added. "Even though Jason should have been upstairs practicing, he decided to take one of my students on a date…" Jason chuckled nervously. Sinjin lifted his eyebrows and moved his arms onto the table, clasping his hands together.

"Can I also add, just in case anyone's wondering…Damian is also _not_ an OC. He was in the episode with Dale Squires, the kid that made Tori, and every other kid in the classroom, all move away from him. The one who 'rarely gets excited'." Sinjin took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Honestly? I was embarrassed by Damian in this recent chapter! How _dare_ that bastard try to replace me, he most certainly got what he deserved! However I still hate Jason…"

"Why?" Tori asked with a knowing smirk. "Is it because he killed your girlfriend?" Sinjin closed his eyes and lifted his finger as both Ying and Michael moved to cover the girl's mouth.

"That has _not_ happened in these recent chapters, _and_ no one is going to even know who my 'girlfriend' _is!"_ He opened his eyes and slowly removed his glasses, pulling a lens cloth from his pocket and cleaning it. "I'd also like to state for the record, that I don't do drugs that much, not good for the body. The only drug _I've_ ever done is marijuana. However drugs probably explain Damian's twitchy, easily killed self…Oh and another thing you _need_ to keep in mind. Do _not_ underestimate the power of a Lieutenant. If a Captain is supposed to be ridiculously strong, the Lieutenants will be _very_ strong as well, whether they act accordingly or not. However I suffice to say, Damian's Lieutenant could easily be stronger than he was." With a smirk, he looked over to Trina, extending his hand. "Any further comment?"

"Yes. Shut up. Karate Queen, I want to state, there _will_ be bloodshed. There will be deaths. Sad, but truly necessary. You will see epic sword skills from Christy, I will say, you will see awesome fighting. Now keep in mind, that anyone that survives us, well, I can't say whether or not it comes to bite us in the butt or not…surely not in this story. Keep in mind a sequel is possible, should our readers want one at the end."

"When you say deaths, can you please elaborate on that?" Tori asked while waving her hand in a circular motion. "Who exactly _dies?_"

"I can't say _who_ dies or who lives. I can't say what ramifications happen to anyone. Granted, some of our fans may already know certain elements to this story, but not every one of them does know. Certainly, not every one of them knows the bigger twist to this story, and I don't plan on anyone knowing that. I will say however, Ying and her father have received the _lightest_ punishment that _any_ bad guy receives. They survived and were arrested, the majority of the villains will probably not survive. I mean, hey, karma catches up to you."

"So this story is just going to get better from this point on?"

"Hell yes. Also, there will be promised romance, but not an over-dash of it. Keep in mind that we're on a timed basis here, there's no time for romance really. Now, I think everyone will enjoy everything that's coming their way. Oh, and look forward to a really awesome chase scene in later chapters!" She winked and set her papers down. They looked amongst themselves, trying to decide if there was anything else to say, but there was nothing that came to mind. Trina slowly rose to her feet and smiled. "Well I guess that's it! It's back to the story from here, thank you for listening to our brief break, and look forward to the next chapter. A step away from drama. Miss Karate Queen, anymore replies to you, the author will try to address in author notes at the beginning and end of his chapters. This was just done on the spot right now to avoid having to wait another few days and answer all your questions in one long author note…which would likely bore the living hell out of other readers…and that remains the reason we've created this special 'break' just for you, so that the other readers won't be bored to tears by an author note!"

"Exactly!" Sinjin moved from his chair and started walking towards the door, stopping only to glance back over his shoulder. "The story itself is over, but no sequel has been started. Keep in mind however, the author is leaning towards a sequel and has several points in place for one…should all the readers agree that one would be good. Sequel, continuation, whatever you want to call it, you may want to wait until the end of the story before jumping the gun and saying you want one. It won't be written until all chapters are uploaded."

"That won't take long either," Tori agreed. "There are only twenty seven chapters written for this. Eight of which are already uploaded. There's a system to when each chapter is up, a cycle that goes along with the stories Nature is currently uploading. So, one, one day, another the next, and so forth. It's a system, expect the next chapter in approximately four days! Or, if he surprises you guys, he'll upload it sooner…It all depends really. Enjoy!"

"And with that, we're bowing out," Ying stated. "For the record, villain wise, here are the people you'll see that are OCs. Niu, Mercury, Venus, Mortimer, Morgan, Raven, Lilith, Seth, Giovanni, and…that's it. Tyson is _not_ an OC, he is the manager of the Gorilla club. His Lieutenant is also…not an OC…"

"That's all we have!" Trina exclaimed rather impatiently. Everyone rose and quickly bowed.

"Enjoy the movie, slash, story!" With that, they all started to leave the room, flipping off the light and shutting the door behind them. Anticipation filled the air, and the next chapter was already in the works. Never again, however, would the characters break the fourth wall and reply to an anonymous user. No, the author would address that one at a time in their chapters.

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><p>There you go, just for you. I hope this answered some of your questions and concern, while also keeping you entertained and not boring anyone to tears. I will not do this again, so don't worry (and I say this to my other readers, in all seriousness), I will reply, Karate, to your reviews in author notes at the start andor end of each chapter. SO DEFINITELY READ THE AUTHOR NOTES. I can't stress that enough, a lot of people just simply do not read the author notes


	11. True Loyalty

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 10 (True Loyalty)<p>

"Jason?" Trina found Jason standing outside of the school, leaning against wall next to the front doors. He was looking off in the distance, tears stung his eyes. She put her hand to her stomach and turned her eyes downwards. "Christy's inside cleaning her sword, your uncle's working on locking the basement door so none of the remaining gang members can get out." Jason lifted his shoulders up and Trina carefully brought her hand up. Her lips thinned as she rested her hand up on his shoulder. "But…how are you?"

"Well, I know I've had enough mind games for one day." Surely the day was only just beginning. She understood his feelings though, and hopefully, the other bad guys out there would not be as messed up as Damian was. Though, she did like the fact that he 'defended her honor', so to speak. Granted, yeah, she could have taken care of herself just fine, but she wasn't a feministic psycho that would tell off a guy for helping her out. She hated women like that, especially since those types were the ones that made people, mainly men, stay away from them. "I didn't mean to kill the guy."

"I know…but at least Damian can't hurt anyone else now. If it's any consolation, he practically killed himself." She stood next to him and put her arm around his shoulders. He turned his gaze to her as she looked up into the bluish grey skies. "It could storm today, but I don't think it would matter if it did or not. We'll deal with whatever it brings. That's the thing, whatever the situation, we can find a way through." Her brow furrowed as her eyes drifted downwards. "I don't know what it means, but I can tell you…we can't shake the past, just the present. You're probably wondering if Damian's death matters or not, killing him wouldn't bring your mom back."

"Yeah." He frowned and closed his eyes.

"Getting rid of this gang won't change whether or not all the hostages come out with mental and emotional problems. However, it will still save them. If they're dead, then getting rid of this gang will honor their memory, to avenge their souls. Just like, taking out Damian, probably restored a bit of your mom's memory."

"Maybe. I just feel like…I can't lose anyone else. I don't want to lose my uncle, Christy, or you. Back there, realizing he was involved in mom's death, it really hit me how easily it could be that I could lose the only people left in my life that mean _anything_ to me. When he held that knife to your throat, I knew you'd be okay, but I was scared. I don't know how you felt then, all I know is, I was scared to death of losing you."

Her heart swelled and her cheeks flushed, she was definitely flattered, hearing that he was afraid of something bad happening to her. She took a deep breath and relaxed her body. "You know. I was scared too. I was scared last night, I was scared back there just now." He raised an eyebrow as she released him and started walking forward. She motioned and started walking towards the outside tables where the gang used to sit, Jason followed after and sat down with her. "I was afraid of losing all of you, even your Uncle, I mean he is the best teacher at this damn school." Jason chuckled lightly and stared down at his hands, clasped together on the table. "Most of all, I'm scared I won't make it in time. I'm scared of losing everyone, having to return to these families and telling them that their children are...that they're dead." She bowed her head and narrowed her eyes. She held her hands together and ran her thumb along her fingers. "So I understand being afraid, but like I said before, we're going to make it through this."

"Yeah."

"You know, your mom would be proud of you, I bet. I mean, think about it, you've grown a lot…you listen to your uncle, and I think that in itself is impressive. It takes some amount of discipline to listen to the ravings of a madman, right?" He closed his eyes and started to snicker. She grinned and moved her hand over his. He smiled sadly and looked over to her.

"I bet Tori would be thinking about you right now, probably wondering what the hell you're doing. What the heck are we doing…" Trina chuckled and bowed her head, slowly shaking it and closing her misty eyes.

"Honestly? Half the time I don't know what I'm doing. The things I do, the actions I make, I just…do it." She lifted her head up and stared ahead at the table in front of her. She hadn't sat at the exact table, she couldn't sit there. She imagined Tori and her friends around that table, laughing and joking about the grub truck guy. She sniffed once and let her heart sink down. "Granted I should probably think before I act. Here I am, diving into this violent gang, swearing revenge on all of them without even thinking about the ramifications. The only thing driving me…my mom, dad, and Tori's friends…but most of all…that photo."

"Tori."

"I _loved_ her, Jason. I loved her with all my heart, and they took her." Her tears started running down her cheeks as her body began to shake. "I should have been there, should have reached her, she _needed _me. The one time my sister needed me, someone like _me_…I was too late."

"Trina…"

Her head fell to her hands and she let loose for the first time, allowing Jason to see her cry. Her body quaked with the force of the quivering earth, tears ran from her face and streamed onto her hands as her shuddering sobs filled the air. "I could have saved her. I should have saved her. Her friends don't even _like_ me…" Jason moved his arm around her back and breathed in slowly. "So what the hell _am_ I doing?"

"The right thing." She stopped for a brief second, her eyes still clenched and her body still. He seemed so _sure_, more so than she was. "We may not know what we are getting ourselves into, we may not know whether we're going to survive everything or not. We don't know if we're going to save anyone, but we're trying as hard as we can. So Tori's friends don't like you, so what, the point is…right now…you're the only thing they have to count on."

"They don't even know I'm trying to save them." She lifted her head up and carefully slid her thumb across her eyes. "Even if they did, they'd probably just say I would get myself killed before getting _close_ to them."

"I imagine the sense of hopelessness they feel right now is pretty big. So you might have to give them that before you start cutting yourself down. You can do this. I know you can, you'll always have my support, and I'm pretty sure Christy's not leaving her best friend in the dust. My Uncle's fighting because these are his students. If we relied on the police, we'd be too late. It's dangerous what we're doing, yes, but it's the only thing we _can_ do. Don't give up."

"I wouldn't do that." She waved her hand in the air and let out a small sigh. She really hadn't meant to start talking about her own worries. "Sorry, I didn't want to go emotional like that. Just…tell me how you're feeling right now. I mean, you seemed pretty bummed after Damian…"

"Yeah, I didn't mean to _kill_ the guy. I know he probably had it coming, but I'm not a killer. I'm not like that."

"I know, you're a good guy Jason. You know you did right, though…It may not seem that way, but in the long run, it probably was. You didn't do it out of revenge either, right?"

"Yeah, I mean, I was angry, but…"

"Then it wasn't a revenge killing. Also, it's normal to feel guilt, that means you're human." She folded her hands over one another on the table and glanced up to the sky. As she drew in a deep breath, she thought about Jason's safety. Would he really want to do this? She moved her eyes to his and pressed her lips together. "If you would like, if you feel like you can't do this, tell me. I have absolutely no problem with you going home, somewhere safe. If I know you're safe, then I'm happy. You don't have to fight with us if you don't want to." He meshed his brow together as crease lines started forming above his eyebrows. His lips pulled back tight and he slowly shook his head. His hand moved to hers and she quickly looked down at the hands as a spark of electricity shot along her arm.

"I would follow you to the ends of the earth and back, Trina." Her cheeks started to turn a shade of red and her lips curved upwards. Just like Christy, Jason was too good to her, too true. She couldn't be happier to hear him speak those words.

"Really?"

"You know it." She closed her eyes, suddenly she felt so close to him. Could she really allow herself to bring emotions into this, though? To tear down that safety wall? Emotions would get in the way, wouldn't they? Or was it emotions that caused Jason to go after Damian? She adored teasing him, getting a rise out of him, but had she really ever thought about why?

"Jason…" She wanted to move her hand away, but couldn't bring herself to do so. She recalled Tori's statement at the dinner table the other night and laughed inwardly, but kept her expression very soft. "What, what did your father look like? I know Sikowitz is your uncle, so…" He raised an eyebrow and withdrew hand.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything, but Dad was very good looking. Really nice in a suit, from what I remember of him. Full head of hair, actually looked like Tori's friend Beck's hair. Had a very neatly trimmed mustache, very handsome appearance. Why?"

"Oh…no reason." She looked away, fighting the grin trying to come up. They had work to do, no time to rest. Then again, rest would be good. She looked up as Sikowitz and Christy started walking towards them from the building.

"Everything's sealed off," Sikowitz said with an arched eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's just peachy…" She looked to Christy, who was sheathing her blade. "How many people are dead in there…" Christy glanced up and chuckled nervously.

"Besides Damian and the five people that he ordered to fight to the death, I'd say about three or four." Trina's jaw dropped as she counted the number in her head. _Way _more than she would have preferred!

"Well. Cops will have a field day with this one. Anyway guys, let's get some rest before heading out. Our next stop's going to be that Gorilla Club. We'll see if they're holding any of the hostages there, if so, free the hostages and get out. That's the game plan." Jason rose to his feet and Christy gave a brisk nod. She straightened herself and cleared her throat, pointing her hand out to Jason. "I already told Jason, and I'll give you guys the option…if anyone doesn't want to continue fighting, then please…I would feel better if you went home, or somewhere safe. I don't want anyone putting themselves in danger that they don't want to be in."

Sikowitz looked over to Christy, who crossed her arms and gave Trina an uncertain look, as though she'd suggested something so ridiculous. Jason closed his eyes and curled his lip into a smirk. "You know where I stand, Trina," he replied. "I'm not leaving and letting you have all the glory." She chuckled and smiled at him, her body started to heat up, so she quickly turned her eyes to Christy.

"If you go through Hell, I'm going with you. Best friends stick together, Trina. You're not getting rid of me _that_ easily." Now she was moving into a state of elation. Feeling that she had these people to lean back onto, to have their support, she'd trust them with _anything_.

"I'm glad to hear that…and Mr. Sikowitz?" She looked at him and watched as his lips curled into a teasing smirk.

"What? You have to ask? Not only is my nephew going into this, but those people have my best students. Also, _someone's_ got to be around to correct you when you use improper form during battle." Jason snickered and Christy laughed. Trina's eyes started to water and tears of joy slowly streamed down her cheeks. "Something wrong?"

"No. I'm just…glad. Come on, let's move." She turned away and started walking towards the van, the others followed close behind. In the distance, they could hear the police sirens closing in on the school, Sector A, was finished.

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><p>Talk to me.<p> 


	12. Christy's Run

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 11 (Christy's Run)<p>

Trina narrowed her gaze upon the doors of the Gorilla Club, it wouldn't be long now. She could feel it. The people in this place would soon see why she was a force to be reckoned with. Christy stood beside her, sword in hand and pointing towards the ground. Together, they would be a team unstoppable. Jason and Sikowitz remained in the car, better the people in this club think it was just the two girls, the men would enter in fifteen minutes to take out any stragglers. For now, they kept watch, just in case the people started getting smart and calling for backup. "So, we're just going to storm the place, Tri?"

"That's right, Christy." During their break, they decided to try and investigate the place, it was still operating as though nothing was going on. Sure, this meant they had to be careful, as there were still innocents inside, but for the most part, they were going to storm the hell out of the place. "Unguarded base, still operating as it always does, you couldn't _ask_ for a better invitation. For now, sheath your sword. We don't want them thinking anything." Would they notice the moment they walked in? There was still that risk that Trina had become recognized by now. She was working as fast as she could to take out this gang before they knew what she was doing, but hell, it was taking way too long. "Trina got smacked around in here, I wasn't too happy with her being here, and now I understand why."

"Right."

"Just act natural, act like we're just there for a good time." From here, it would only get harder. Had any gang members escaped their grasp yet? Had anyone been able to report back and tell the leaders that Trina Vega was on a rampage? "Pretend like we're _not_ there to stir up trouble."

"You think they'd attack us with innocents in there?" She paused and slowly rubbed her forehead. Why would Christy be asking this _now_? Of _course_ the gang would attack, since when did gang members care about innocent lives? She turned a gaze to her friend, arched her eyebrow and crossed her arms over. The girl slowly clicked her tongue and glanced to the side. "Yeah, yeah they would wouldn't they…"

"Yes. They would. Unless they've become friendly, I'm almost positive they would." She marched forward and gradually opened the front door. She put a smile on her face and let the sounds of pain fill her ears. She actually wouldn't mind trying these games, but she was still more concerned with her work. Her eyes trailed to the bald, muscular man with a beard. She pointed and leaned in towards Christy. "See muscles there? That would be Tyson."

"Great…why does he have to have muscles? That just makes him stronger!" Trina laughed lightly and moved forward. She scanned the area with a grin. Directly in front of them, the rodeo bunny spitting fire. Next to the bunny, the balls of pain. Along the balls of pain and after them, a high wire with a pit of biting piranhas. Why the club would ever install that, she wasn't sure, but at least the wire was high enough to move across while hanging from it. Dangerous as it was though, the fish could still jump up and bite the heels. After the fish was the Gorilla cage. That damn gorilla was nestled away in his cage, slamming his fists against his chest.

"All right…the fish…" She looked to Christy's left hand and smirked. Christy was holding onto the large red tank gasoline holder. The girl frowned and held up the holder.

"I'm not sure how humane it is, but…if it keeps those fish from eating us…"

"It's only in case something goes wrong, Christy." Trina smiled as Tyson started walking towards her. "Hello I'm-" She was stopped by a familiar cry, something far too familiar. "What's that?"

"Nothing," Tyson replied huskily. She stared at him and listened closely. No. She was sure she heard the distinct cry of help coming from somewhere. As she looked past the gorilla, she narrowed her eyes and closed her fists. Not only did the gorilla have keys attached to a belt on its waist, there was a bolted door behind the gorilla cage that was open. A worker was inside the room where she could see a large pool of water. Above the water, several feet up, was a cage. Her heart slammed against her chest as she spotted a man gripping the bars of the cage. He didn't have his glasses, but there was no mistaking it, they had _Robbie_ here!

"_Nothing_, you say?" The worker walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Chances were, that door was locked automatically and the keys on the gorilla's waist opened it. "Christy." She turned and saw her friend was standing directly in front of the bunny, watching it. Christy turned around just as Trina pointed to the door. "Robbie is back there! The Gorilla has the keys! We-" Suddenly she found herself connecting with the floor. Her mistake, Tyson _had_ still been there.

"It's Trina Vega!" The man at the balls of pain gasped and quickly pressed a button. Just as Trina looked up, she heard Christy scream for her. Several walls rose from the ground, forming a path inside the walls that forced whoever was inside to run through all the games, finishing off with the Gorilla. She cussed and clenched her fists in the dirt.

"Son of a bitch…Christy! Just go!" She looked up from the ground and saw several people beginning to surround her. She'd been dead wrong, these people weren't innocents, they were all part of the sector, and there had to be at least thirty of them. "Shit!"

"Trina! What's going on out there!"

"Forget about me, just _go!_ I was wrong, everyone out here is part of the sector!" She slowly wiped her mouth with her thumb and rose to her feet, getting into fighter stance. As she narrowed her eyes, her mind traveled to Robbie, that cage would probably start moving down into that water very soon. If they didn't hurry, he'd drown. "Christy. I'm dealing with these guys…" One man threw a fist at her abdomen. Once it connected, she winced and placed a hand upon his wrist. She shot her knee up, connecting with his jaw, then swung the man into another gang member. "Just _go!_ Get those keys from the gorilla and get Robbie out of there!"

"All right!" Christy sighed as she stared at that bunny. The walls were running very close to the rabbit, forcing her to have to get on the damn thing. She was _not_ in the mood to deal with the bunny. She stepped up to the metal rim and put her thumb around the sheath, then pressed the sword up with her thumb. "Sorry bunny, but I don't think you're going to be of any use after this."

She set the gasoline can down and withdrew her blade. With a dangerous sneer, she slashed the blade in a sideways arc, slicing through the bucking rabbit with ease. She was surprised, but apparently the bunny was made of leather, not metal. She huffed satisfactorily and brought the blade down through the leather neck, then watched with a smirk as the bunny's head dropped to the ground.

"One more…" She aimed her blade and pulled it back, carefully watching as the object bounced like a piece of meat. The fact that it breathed fire, she had to wonder what would happen if she struck it in the center. With remarkable precision, she thrust herself forward, pushing her sword into the bunny's side. As her sword ran clean through, the bunny erupted in a ball of flame. The shock threw her back against the wall, jarring her senses momentarily. "Shit. I didn't think that through as well as I could have."

As her vision readjusted, she rose and examined herself. There were no burn marks, just a little redness from having been thrown against a hard metal wall. Nothing she couldn't shrug off. She lifted up the gasoline can and walked past the metallic stump that the bunny used to sit on. She chuckled and brought her blade to rest on her right shoulder. "Looks like the Gorilla Club's going to need a new bucking creature. Now…"

As she followed the path and moved up the stairs, she stared across the four swinging balls. The man behind the controls on the other side quickly fled, somehow making his way across the piranha pit. She tilted her head and slashed her blade downward. "You can't run forever! Soon the only thing between that gorilla and me is you, then what are you going to do, coward?" What was she forgetting?

She heard the sounds of fighting outside and quickly lifted her eyebrows. Shit! The distress signal! She set her gasoline can down and reached to the cell phone hanging on her belt. Fortunately all she had to do was press the send button, the text was already preset before coming in. She clicked the send button, grinning as the boys received the _HELP_ message. Now that she'd done that, she had to cross these damn balls. This would have been more entertaining without the sword.

The balls were heavy, yes, but the tubes hanging onto them were made of a thin and hollow metal tube which her sword could easily cut through. "One…" She slashed through the first tube, wincing as the ball crashed loudly into the ground. She circled around the swinging pipe and swiftly spun around, slashing through the pipe connecting to the second ball. "Two!" She quickly ran back and grabbed the gas can, she still couldn't forget it. After grabbing the can, she moved carefully to the third ball and cut through its pipe. "Three. These swinging pipes really are rather nice without those balls hanging on them!"

"Shit!" The controller screamed as he grabbed his hair. She smirked and moved to the fourth ball, counting it off and slashing the giant ball off. "Hey! We could have used those!"

"Sorry, I wasn't in the mood to play games. Now, you got a name?"

"Fred…"

"Okay Fred…" She walked up to the piranha tank and stared down at the fish rising to the surface, snapping madly. Fred moved up to the other side of the tank, smirking as he pushed his sleeves up. She tilted her head and chuckled. "You probably expect to push me off, don't you? How about this? Instead of _watching_ balls, you _get_ some balls and come at me. Bet you don't have the balls, I know one thing, you don't have any metal balls anymore."

"You're starting to piss me off…"

"Oh is that so?" She smirked as she watched the man seethe with anger. "What? Did I insult your manliness?"

"Shut up bitch."

"I mean watching balls all day sure can't be fun! I bet you _wish_ you had balls of steel."

"Shut. Up!"

"I bet your girlfriend wishes that. Oh wait, you watch balls all day, you don't have a _girlfriend_, do you?" The man roared angrily and started to cross the rope, exactly what she wanted him to do. She slashed her blade in a forward arc, nearly cutting him. He screamed and started stumbling backwards. "Oh you poor thing, you thought I _wasn't_ planning on this?"

"Bitch!" She rolled her eyes as he fell off and latched onto the rope. The fish began jumping, trying to bite at his heels. He whimpered and curled his legs upwards. "Help me!" She raised an eyebrow and stared at him.

"What? After all that, you expect me to help you? Fuck you. You'll just throw me to the piranhas." She opened the gasoline can and kicked it into the water. Her heart sank as the fish started swimming around frantically, one by one, dying. The man looked down with wide eyes. With a heavy heart and a deep sigh, she started to slowly walk across the high wire, trying to balance. When she got to the man's fingers, she stepped on them. "See ya!"

"No!" He screamed and fell down into the gasoline infected waters. The rope bounced and she started to fall off. As she stumbled and fell, she reached up and grabbed the rope with her free hand, then kicked her feet up and clicked them on the rope. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"Damn that was close!" She heard Robbie's muffled scream from the sealed room and her mind shot back to the task at hand. "I'm coming! God I never thought I'd be saving your ass." She rolled her eyes and slowly began to work towards the other end of the rope. All that was left now was the dumb gorilla.

Sword versus gorilla? How hard could it possibly be?

Once inside the gorilla's pit, she found herself staring down the creature. She could get those keys, easy. Unfortunately it didn't help that she hated having to kill animals. The gorilla howled and rushed towards her. Upon reflex she dodged to the side and slashed her blade out, cutting against the gorilla. Her eyes were closed and her body trembling, she expected a howl of pain, but that didn't come.

A metallic clang echoed in her ears. She opened her eyes and looked over, the gorilla's side was sparking. Her eyes widened as the gorilla turned towards her. "You're a freaking _robot?_ Dear god…" At least she didn't have to feel guilty about killing an actual gorilla. "You know, Trina would so love to kick your ass after what you did to Tori…I almost feel bad that _I'm_ the one that's going to have to do it."

Her sword wasn't going to cut it, who was she kidding? Neither were her martial arts moves. Or would they? The Gorilla moved towards her once more. She hopped up and flipped in the air. Her feet connected with the robot's shoulders as she pushed off and somersaulted in the air. She thrust her sword outwards and struck the robot. Once more, she heard only a metallic clang and nothing more. As she landed on the ground, she glanced back to see the damage, but there was hardly anything more than a scratch on the back of its head.

"Well damn. This could be harder than I thought." Obviously it was made of harder material than the bunny was, but there still had to be a weakness. When it turned around, she saw it, a very thin square framing the entirety of his chest. "Aha, would I be right to presume your master controls are under there?"

The gorilla reached for her and grabbed her arm. She let out a shout as the creature hurtled her into the air. God Trina must be having it easier than this! She fought for momentum and quickly performed a back flip. "And for my next move…I am going to _not_ get killed by the gorilla!" She crash-landed on the ground and slowly pushed herself up, spitting out the dirt that landed in her mouth. "That could have gone better."

The gorilla pounded its chest once more as she used her sword to pick herself up from the ground. She breathed out and her muscles started to ache. She was _not_ wanting to be thrown again. Thinking fast, she charged the gorilla as he was busy taunting, bent down, and grabbed the keys from its waist. The robot let out a grunt and started looking around.

"That's the thing robot, I'm a lot faster than you, and I am _done playing!_" With a victory yell she leapt up from behind the robot, perched upon its shoulders, clamping its neck with her legs. She turned the blade in a vertical position and slipped it into the thin line. The robot grabbed her legs and started squeezing. She let out a grunt and started pulling the hilt of the blade back, causing her sword to push the square portion out. It took a lot of strength, but after a few seconds of struggling, the portion popped off with ease. "Got it!"

The robot howled and pulled her off him. She clasped the key ring with her teeth and let herself sail through the air. When he released her, her back collided with the steel cage. She growled and slowly rose, still bent. She brushed her bangs from her forehead and glared at the robot. Her entire body was aching, she was pushing herself more than she thought she could.

She eyed the large red button among the various buttons on the chest, her lips curled into a smirk and she slowly clenched her fist. "There we go…" She started moving towards the robot, picking up speed as the adrenaline continued pumping through her entire body. The robot stared at her with confusion. She let out a loud yell and leapt from the ground. She brought her knees up and kicked outwards, slamming her feet into the robot's many buttons. The robot stumbled backwards as she backflipped and landed on her legs. Pain shot through them, causing her to flinch. She would have to rest and ice her legs after this, but she knew they'd be okay.

The robot's chest began sparking and the creature started shaking. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she'd won the match. As she straightened her posture, she turned and sheathed her blade. She opened her eyes and smirked as the robot exploded into a small ball of fire that evaporated in the air. "So much for you."

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><p>Wow, intense. Go Christy, go! Robbie's counting on you! Well, sort of, he has absolutely no idea you're even there.<p> 


	13. Saving Robbie Shapiro

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 12 (Saving Robbie)<p>

As she stood in front of the large bolted door, fiddling with the lock, Christy glanced back at the pathway. How was she supposed to get those walls down? She'd have to worry about it later, but at the same time, how was she going to get out? She heard the lock click and quickly opened the door. As she rushed in, she saw Robbie gripping the iron bars of the cage, it was slowly descending and was about three feet away from the water. "Robbie!"

"What? Who's there? Don't come any closer! Please! Leave me alone!" His body was trembling, blood soaked his body and caked in his hair. His face was red with tears and large red marks covered his chest. His breathing was vapid and shallow and his glasses were indeed missing. Thus, anything he looked at would be one messy blur. "I don't know what I did…to deserve this…I just want my friends. I'm sorry about the p-puppet. I know it was annoying. Oh god! D-Don't h-hurt me anymore." He put his head to the cage and started shaking harder, sobbing ferociously. No tears came out, however.

"All cried out," Christy whispered as she slowly closed her hands. Her heart mourned for him and rage shot through her veins. Where was Rex, anyway? Annoying? Damn right it was annoying, but hell, was that why Robbie was dangling in that cage? Were they killing him just because of the puppet? She lifted her shoulders and sighed. Chances were that was the case, good thing they made it when they did. "Robbie! It's me, Christy! Christy Vicarious." Robbie flinched and his body froze, he lifted his head slightly and whimpered softly.

"C-Christy? I don't understand…what are you doing here? You're not with them are you?"

"Fuck no, I'm part of the team kicking their asses! Now how the hell do I get you out of that cage…" She started looking around the room, trying to find a button or a lever, anything she could use to open the cage. Robbie's hands gripped the bars tighter still, his knuckles became deathly white. The cage lowered some more and Christy was beginning to grow very irritated. "Damn robot gorilla practically takes me out and getting you out of this cage can't be _easy_?"

"I-I think there's a keyhole on the bottom, it unlocks the latch." Seriously? She turned her head to the cage and growled, and here she thought this gang was full of idiots who would be grateful enough to include a lever. "I can't see anything, Christy! What do you mean you're part of a team? What's happening…I don't understand what's going on! I'm s-scared…"

"I know that, Shapiro. We'll explain everything to you soon enough, first, I need to get you out of that cage before you drown." She looked to the key ring in her hand and huffed, full of surprise. There was a second key. Maybe she'd lucked out. "All right…here it goes."

"What? What are you going to do!"

"Just relax Robbie. Take a deep breath." They weren't out of deep water yet, even after she saved him, there was still the gang outside. "Trina is going to be glad we got one of them…" She started running towards the pool of water and reached her arms up as she leapt off the edge. She gripped the bottom of the cage, causing it to swing. Robbie screamed as the cage moved like a pendulum. "Robbie! Breathe."

"I _can't_ breathe!"

"Okay. It's okay." She grabbed for the keys and quickly threw the second key into the slot. "Yes. Perfect fit! Okay Robbie, you're about to be dropped into water, so take a deep breath." She turned the key, heard the latch click and felt the cage start shaking.

"What's happen-" She released the bars and curled into a ball as she dropped into the water. The cage above her opened and Robbie splashed down. She opened her eyes and ignored the sting of water. She breathed out with her nose and started swimming towards Robbie's body, grabbing him with her arm and resurfacing towards the edge. The two opened their mouths, letting the air fill their lungs.

"Okay Robbie…let's get you out of the water." She crawled onto the ground and pulled Robbie up next to her. She heard a splash and lifted her head to see the cage touch the water. Just as it did, the chain cranked and the cage sank within a matter of seconds. "Shit, that really was a close one." Robbie coughed and looked up as Christy moved to her feet. "Let's pray-aw fuck." Tyson was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and body covered with blood. Three people surrounded him. Trina, Jason, and Sikowitz were kneeling on the ground.

"Your friends have surrendered," Tyson said with a subtle smirk. Trina was in between Sikowitz and Jason, her face was bowed, but Christy could see a faint hint of a smirk on her face. Was this planned? To get into the room or take down the walls? Tyson walked in front of them and tapped his foot on the ground. Christy noticed the men didn't tie Trina's hands, or the others, were they seriously that stupid? Then again, muscle men, they didn't have a brain in their head whatsoever. "Want to watch as I slit their throats?"

"Well Mr. Muscles, I'm not sure what makes you feel so damned confident, but if you're so sure…" The men moved up next to him and he quickly pointed towards Robbie.

"One of you grab him." She watched as one of the men picked up Robbie and held his wrists together. Robbie screamed and struggled in the man's hold. Yet, no sooner than he started struggling, did he give up and freeze. Had they destroyed his will so much? "Now…If you'll so gladly join your friends here…" Sikowitz slowly began rising to his feet, staring down Tyson. Trina and Jason glanced at each other and smirked as the teacher began to remove his walking stick from his brown coat. Christy rolled her head to the side and put her hand to the handle of her sword.

"You're telling me that after all the crap I just went through, this is it? It was worth nothing? You caught us anyway?" Tyson grinned as she slowly narrowed her eyes. "Robbie, I want you to do something for me." Robbie whimpered and turned his head towards her. Within seconds, Sikowitz swirled his stick around Tyson's neck. Tyson let out a shout and brought his hands up, but Sikowitz pulled sharply and kneed Tyson in the back. Trina and Jason grabbed the two bodyguards before they could react and pinned them to the ground. "Duck, Robbie!"

Robbie bent forward just as Christy slashed her blade out and sliced clean over his head. The man holding him gasped just as her blade slicked through his neck. Robbie fell forward and she quickly spun around, extending her free arm and catching him around the waist. She watched with angry eyes as the beheaded man fell backwards into the water. "W-What just happened?"

"Your life was saved, that's what." She looked to the others and saw Tyson sprawled out on the ground. Sikowitz checked his pulse and lifted his shoulders. "Is he dead?"

"No, just unconscious," Sikowitz replied. Robbie gasped at the familiar voice. It was almost too good to be true. Trina and Jason pulled the ropes from their pants and tied the bodyguards' wrists together. Once they rose, Trina glanced up with a smile. She looked very proud, and rightfully so. "So, now that we're done here, let's get moving. Trina, leave your note if you will."

"Yeah, I will. Michael needs to know one of the hostages are safe." Trina moved towards Robbie, who was a quivering mess.

"T-Trina too?"

"You're safe now, Robbie. You're safe." He started shaking as Trina put her arms around him in a comforting hug. She rubbed his back and looked to Christy. "Great work Christy. Sorry for the scare, it was the only way to get Tyson to bring those walls down…" She nodded and gently rubbed the back of her neck.

"I understand."

"Right. Okay Robbie, let's get you out of here." Robbie sniffed as Trina put her hands to his shoulder and met his eyes with a kindred smile. "I know some people that are going to be _very_ happy to see you."

"Really?"

"Yes. Your family." Robbie's lips curled into a very small smile. He was probably wondering about his friends, though. God only knew where they were. The puppet was what led the gang to try and kill him, so chances were they wouldn't be so lucky to find anyone at the next sector, but there was always the chance. "But first, have you had anything to eat in the last couple of days?"

"No…"

"All right, well, we're all going to get some lunch. First, we're going to stop off at a new motel, get cleaned up, rest, then grab some food. However, I think we need to get you a new pair of glasses. What happened to your old ones?"

"Crushed…"

"I see." Robbie's eyes were filled with fear, trauma, and unspeakable horrors. The poor boy had already been a bit terrorized with his life up to this point, now he was going to be going through even more mental bullshit. It hardly seemed fair.

"W-When can I see my family? My friends?" Trina's heart sank and Christy quickly glanced to the side. Poor guy, he thought his friends were already safe. How could they tell them that he was the _first_ person they found?

"We'll…get to that soon. First, let's get you out of here." He nodded as she started leading him out, stepping carefully over Tyson's unconscious body. It was about time to get out of this hell.

Chief Warren and Deputy Chief Michael laughed as they stood over Tyson. Their hands were on their hips and their eyes were watching with amusement as the man started to stir. They'd already handcuffed him, so there wasn't much he could do to get away. As he opened his eyes and started attempting to move his wrists, he grunted and gazed up at the two officers. "Aw _shit!_"

"Let me guess," Warren started, crossing his arms. His lips curled into a smirk. "You were beaten by two girls, a guy, and a teacher, all using martial arts? Right?" Tyson rolled his eyes as the two men lifted him from the ground by his arms. "It's the same story we heard from the ninjas and from the basement at Hollywood Arts. So what's _your_ story?"

"Fuck you…This isn't funny!"

"Oh no disrespect meant," Michael snickered. "I'm finding this very amusing, even though it's very serious. You see…" Michael stepped in front of Tyson and stared into his eyes. "Your little gang has a good friend of mine hostage, the wrong person to take, so you've waged a war on the police whether you like it or not. As far as we're concerned, you're _finished!_" As they stepped out, Tyson growled at all the officers carting his men away. The club was _devastated._ "Whoever cut up your club with the sword…impressive work."

"Fuck…"

Michael removed a sheet of paper from his pocket, Trina's note that had been found tucked on the back of Tyson. He gazed at it and smiled slightly, Robbie had been found. _"Great job Trina. Great job."_ At least she was making this easier on the police, but he did acknowledge that it was only getting more and more dangerous. There was a point of time he wanted to find her and tell her to let them take it from here.

* * *

><p>Impressive work indeed, hope you've enjoyed this. Sector B, down.<p> 


	14. A Family Reunited

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 13 (A Family Reunited)<p>

Trina and the others made their way into a lens crafters shop within the mall, a place with a large number of people, making it easy to avoid any possible detection by gang members. Though, she wasn't really worried about that. They'd all gotten cleaned up and their wounds medicated thanks to her family doctor. They _had_ to go to the hospital and see Dr. Richards, her family doctor. Dr. Richards had been a longtime family friend of the Vegas, he'd been there since before Holly gave birth to Trina herself. When they found him, he was happy to help after they informed him of the situation.

Dr. Richards had retired months ago, but was still willing to help anyone he needed to. When they took Robbie in, he suggested they take Robbie to the hospital, but they said they were not interested in doing that yet. They first wanted to find his family. The kind doctor had agreed to help them if they returned to him, but he informed them that he'd rather then not do it _too_ often, meaning, the minimal wounds the better. Trina could dig that.

Robbie was wearing a cheap pair of temporary glasses that helped his vision a little. Jason had given him some of his own clothes, though he was a few inches taller than Robbie was. Robbie was now wearing a green t-shirt with some old mud stains and baggy brown sweatpants, good for temporary wear. His temporary glasses resembled old granny glasses, wide and round with a thick rim. Needless to say, he'd be glad to get some actual glasses, and _Trina_ was fine with buying them!

He hadn't said much since being rescued, just staring off into space. Trina figured he'd talk when he was ready to. Right now, her primary concern was his safety and getting him home to his family, who had taken her advice and fled town. "Okay Robbie, look around for a pair. I think you may have to have an eye exam done though. Usually…"

"Would one of you go in with me?" His voice was flat and filled with concerned. She nodded and pat his shoulder, she understood he didn't want to be alone with someone he didn't know. After all, he didn't want to be abducted again.

"I'll send Sikowitz in with you. Sikowitz?" The teacher gave a brisk nod and walked with Robbie towards one of the people working at the desks. Trina took a deep breath and looked from Christy to Jason, they were patiently waiting for their next move. "All right guys, maybe we eat at the food court?"

"Yeah that'll work," Christy replied. Plenty of options at the food court, and ample time to relax. "What are you going to do about Robbie's family? Who knows where they are right now…"

"I'll call them and see if they feel like coming here or us going to them." A food court was a generally safe place to meet up, especially the mall they were at. This wasn't a very well known mall and off on the outskirts of town, nowhere near where any of the gang sectors were located. It was about halfway between the Vega home and the safe place that Robbie's family had found, nearly two hours from Las Angeles. Meaning, they were only about an hour away from the mall. "Either way, it's safe. That _is_ my main concern."

"Of course. You might ask them if they have spare glasses for him, usually people give two pairs…"

"True, it would save us some time and money." Trina pulled her phone from her purse and started scrolling down her contacts. "All right, go talk to Robbie and Sikowitz about that if you don't mind, I've found Rachel Shapiro." His sister would be so happy to hear her brother was safe. Christy nodded and hurried over to Robbie and Sikowitz. Jason smiled from the wall he was leaning against. Trina met his eyes and smiled back at him. She flung her hair over her shoulder and put her phone to her ear. Soon Rachel answered, her voice was rushed and hopeful.

"Trina? Please tell me you have good news. How's my brother?"

"Mentally? Really broken up, but he's safe." Rachel gasped and Trina waited as the girl started sobbing. Those tears of joy were long awaited. She smiled slightly as the sister continued to tear up.

"Safe…he's safe…W-where is he?"

"We're at the Grand Central Mall, just an hour away from you. He's been medicated and we're fixing to have lunch. Do you have another pair of glasses for him?"

"Yes. Does he need them?"

"Yeah, we were about to get him a new pair, but if you have a second…"

"We do." The girl breathed in and cried out for her mom and dad. "Robbie's safe! Mom! Dad! Get the car started, Trina found Robbie!" She listened as the family started hollering and exclaiming happily, this was music to her ears. "C-Can we talk to him?"

"When you get here, sure, I'm not too sure he's very talkative right now."

"I understand."

"We'll be in the food court."

"Okay, we'll be there in an hour! Thank you so much." She smiled and clicked off the phone. When she glanced over, Robbie was walking up to her with the others. She turned to him and folded her arms across her chest.

"Your family will be here in an hour, they have your second pair of glasses, so I guess we can just have our lunch." The group made their way towards the food court in silence. She looked over to Robbie and gave him a subtle smirk. "I bet you'll be happy to get your glasses back."

"Yeah."

"Hey, I'm sorry about Rex." Robbie bowed his head and shrugged his shoulders. She was genuinely sorry about the loss of his puppet, no matter how weird it was, that thing _was_ a part of his life. "If you don't mind me asking, what did Rex mean to you?" He looked away and Trina slowly nodded, understanding that he didn't want to talk. "Okay."

After several minutes, the group had their food and were seated at a round table in the far corner of the food-court. Trina had a salad, Jason was eating a cool wrap from the chicken place, Christy was eating orange chicken with some sushi from the Japanese restaurant, Sikowitz had a tray of spaghetti, while Robbie had a simple hamburger. He expressed his desire to just have a hamburger and fries with a soda, he didn't need much, just something to remind him that he was safe.

After staring at his sandwich, he spoke his first real words. "He was my family." Trina raised an eyebrow and glanced over from her salad. Christy had her fork in midair while the others continued to eat, listening eagerly. "Mom and Dad were always busy with work or some new volunteer project somewhere and Rachel's constantly spending time with her friends at school. Fifteen years old, so I shouldn't be surprised she doesn't want to hang with her older brother. I had no friends, so Rex was it…" Trina set her fork down easy on her plate and gave him a reassuring look.

"Your family is really concerned about you. They told me they'll do anything to see you again. They're going to get help for you and I think they're going to try and be there for you more." He replied with a wary smile and slowly wiped a tear from his eye. "Don't fret, Robbie…you're in good hands now."

"What about the others? I was separated from them not long after they took us. I've been in that cage all this time. Rex…gone…Did you find anyone else?" Her heart sank. She slowly stabbed her salad and brought her fork to her lips. He lifted his eyes to her. She swallowed and leaned back in her chair, sighing.

"We're doing the best we can, I'm not resting until I _have_ found everyone, and I will find them. Right now, you're only the first person…" Robbie swallowed hard and slowly picked up his hamburger. "Everyone's just glad you're safe."

"Sinjin. He's involved…"

"Yeah, I know, he actually tried to kill me." Robbie's head moved back and he gave her a questioning look. "Yeah I took him out, he was a bumbling idiot. You remember when I took out you, Beck, and Andre all at once?" She smirked and Robbie's lips curled up at the memory.

"Yeah…the girls ditched us for that karaoke place."

"Exactly. My best asset is my martial arts. Christy and Jason, my best friends, are also extremely good fighters." He bit into his hamburger and clenched his eyes shut, moaning with pleasure as he swallowed his bite whole. His eyes opened and turned to Sikowitz.

"And Mr. Sikowitz?"

"Oh he's a master martial artist. Or well, would be, if not for some traitor years and years ago. He's been teaching us a thing or two, so he's helpful to have along."

"That's good. Trina? Thanks…you guys got me out of there…I don't know what's going on with the others, so I'm sorry I can't be of any help."

"It's okay, you don't need to worry about all that."

"Right…"

After some amount of time passed, Trina spotted a girl walking through the mall doors. Her curly brown hair rested above her shoulders and her expression was hopeful, as though searching. A tall man and woman came in after her, followed soon by an elderly couple. Trina grinned and slowly stood from the table. She waved in the air, grabbing the girl's attention. The others looked over and Robbie's eyes filled with tears.

"Robbie!" Rachel exclaimed, her voice full of sheer joy and wonder. Mrs. Shapiro put her hand to her chest and even the father was shedding tears. Robbie rose and slowly moved forward as his sister ran towards him. With a sudden impact, she embraced her brother and started to sob. "Thank god…I was so scared…"

"Rachel…" He hugged her and smiled as his parents and grandparents hurried over to him. They started hugging him and inspecting him for any wounds. Perhaps this was the most attention he'd received from them, but surely neither they or he would take for granted what they had. Maria Shapiro started sobbing as she kissed her son's head.

"My baby's back to me. My precious son." He hugged them tight, his hands clenching onto his mother's shirt. He was _not_ letting go anytime soon. Rachel reached into her purse and pulled out a second pair of glasses for Robbie. Gingerly she replaced the temporary glasses with the new ones.

Trina bowed her head and put her hand to her chest, her heart was beating with rapid succession. Her eyes started to water and her mind returned to her own family. She wanted so badly to be with them. She choked back any tears and looked to her own group. "Come on guys, he's safe, we…have work to do." She started walking off and they followed her, there was nothing more that needed to be said to the Shapiro clan.

"Wait!" Rachel called out and Trina stopped moving. She glanced over her shoulder at the girl. Her eyes were glazed over. The family was looking up, Robbie still being held in their arms. "I-Is there anything you want? I mean, you brought my brother back, how do we thank you?"

"Be happy. Take care of Robbie, he'll need you now more than ever." Rachel sniffed and quickly nodded her head. "Aside from being a family and being happy, there's nothing _I_ need from you"

"Then. From the bottom of our hearts…_thank you_…thank you so much." She smiled at Rachel, then continued walking, closing her eyes and breathing in. Jason and Christy, on either side of her, placed their hands on her shoulders and smiled for feeling of pure joy. There was not a dry eye there. It would seem, they were doing good work. Next up, the space age barber. No matter, Mercury's was way too overrated anyway.

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><p>I just wanted to get these three chapters out of the way for you all, a little treat to you from me.<p> 


	15. Stylist of Death

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 14 (Stylist of Death)<p>

Trina followed Jason and Sikowitz to the front of the hair stylist, Mercury was starting to lock his doors. The man was a tall, slender man with long blonde hair and movie star sunglasses. His clothes were a mixture of flashy disco colors, almost eighties retro. She had to fight the urge to laugh at this _man's_ outfit. If this was what Mercury looked like, she couldn't wait to see Venus.

Christy had gone around back, hoping to get in that way. She was best fit to take out any gang members hiding around that area, making for an easier time taking out Mercury and Venus. Though, this time, they were going to _hopefully_ not kill anyone. As Mercury turned, his eyes fell onto Sikowitz's bald head. His lips fell and he slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we're closed."

"You don't understand!" Jason started with a charming smirk. "It's an emergency, just _look_ at my Uncle's head! Surely you have something to remedy this!" Mercury tapped his chin and lifted his shoulders.

"Yeah either a comb or a razor. However…" He turned his attention to Trina and slowly ran his hand along the handle of his door. She raised an eyebrow as his fingers gripped the handle tightly. "Perhaps there is something I can do for _you_." He grabbed her wrist and pushed the door open. "Come, enter my salon." She let out a yelp as he whisked her inside. What the hell was wrong with _her_? Unless the gang had gotten smart and he knew her appearance, in which case, this was trouble.

"My hair is just fine, thank you." Mercury slammed the doors shut just as Jason was about to enter. He clicked the lock and threw Trina into a chair. Jason let out a shout and started pounding on the door. "What the?"

"Shatterproof glass." He kicked the chair and arm cuffs wrapped around her wists. She let out a yelp and looked up, growling angrily. She did _not _appreciate this. She took a look at her surroundings and let out a disgusted moan. The floor was a tacky looking tile with silver and black swirls on each tile. The ceiling had stars and planets hanging from above, and the walls were painted black with rockets, stars, and planets painted along them. The chairs lined against the walls resembled astronaut chairs. The whole place needed to be torn down.

"You know, my own hair stylist does wonders for me." She watched as Mercury walked to the counter behind her and picked up some barber shears. She clenched her fists and jerked forward, growling vehemently. "In fact, I have an appointment with her in about a week…and I warn you, if you touch my hair, she won't be happy."

"You might wish for your friend and his uncle to stop pounding on my doors, it could attract some _unwanted_ attention. As for your hairstylist, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to miss that appointment." She rolled her eyes and glared at the arm cuffs. Jesus, she hated being vulnerable.

"Why don't you stand in front of me and talk to me?"

"You think I don't know who you are?" He leaned forward, his head next to hers. His breath hit her neck and swirled into her nose. Her stomach lurched with disgust, what kind of mouthwash did this prick have? "My boss wants something from you, and I'm hearing that you are an elusive little shirt. The police are attacking our sectors, we're not sure if you had anything to do with that though, surely you wouldn't go back on our little 'warning'."

"Oh? That? I had nothing to do with the police involvement, that was your own doing."

"How so?" He sneered and rose up as her lips curled into a smirk.

"_Someone_ neglected to remember that my dad is the Deputy Chief, rank two, of the LAPD. The third in command. Of course if he and his family goes missing, the police are going to investigate. That has nothing to do with me. Not only that, but there _are_ security cameras in that house, what police officer of Dad's rank _wouldn't_ have cameras set up through his own house?"

"Shit!"

"Exactly. The Deputy Chief rank one, also known as the Assistant Chief, and the Police Chief, are good friends with Dad. So naturally, the Assassins have declared war when they took Dad. You had to see it coming. Now, about what you may be about to do…Yes I have something you want, but it is not on hand right now, is it? If you kill me…then you kill the person who knows where it is. Also, murder can't look good on a resume for a highly respected hair stylist. You know I'm right."

"Shut up…" He held the shears to her neck. She tilted her head back very slightly and swallowed as he pressed gently, not cutting, against her jugular. "I'm a high member in this gang, you think you're the first I've ever killed? Don't worry, I'll make your death _quick_."

She moved her eyes to the doors where Jason was kicking with all his might, even Sikowitz was trying to bash the windows with his walking stick. Her heart started racing as sweat began running along the side of her face. This was the closest to death she'd been, the closest to being helpless, and she loathed it. What if she died here and let down everyone that mattered? What would Tori say? She clenched her eyes shut as Mercury chuckled maliciously. And what of Jason? They'd really begun to make a connection. She wanted to know if there was something there, anything at all. She simply _couldn't_ die here.

"Mercury, where are your gang members right now?" She kept her calm composure, trying her best poker face possible. He removed his shears from her neck and slowly looked to the door leading into the back area. She smirked subtly as she saw a hint of blood running from beneath the door. "You neglected the fourth member of my party, Mercury."

"What!"

"Yeah, you know, the other martial arts girl that uses a sword. Christy."

"Shit! Venus is in the back!" He started towards the door, leaving Trina enough time to look down towards the button on the chair that he'd kicked. She smirked and struck it with her foot, releasing the arm cuffs.

"I wouldn't be worrying about her right now, Merc." She hopped out of the chair, grinning as the stylist turned towards her. His eyes widened as she started rubbing her wrists. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him from the corners of her sockets. "Bad mistake, Mercury, I don't very well appreciate being restrained or held down. There are people who discover this the _hard_ way. Now, I'm sorry, but I can't let you go in there after Venus."

"Why? What power have you got?" He scoffed. She threw her fists down and took a step forward, growling slightly.

"You locked Jason out there, so you're stuck out here. When I'm done with you, Mercury…you'll be going to maximum security. Pretty sure you won't be seeing Venus after today."

"You…bitch…" He twirled his small blade with his fingers and clasped tightly on the handle. "I'll kill you."

"And I'll knock those freakishly tacky glasses off your ugly mug." Mercury let out a roar and ran towards her, swinging his blade wildly in the air. Did they _all_ just charge like this? "And there's your first mistake." She sidestepped and leaned forward, kicking her foot against his back. He yelled and fell forward. She straightened herself and glared as he started to move back around. "Actually no. Your first mistake was attacking _my_ family. And you thought I was just going to cooperate with you and hand over the chip? Are you fucking insane?" He narrowed his eyes and she rolled her head to the right, scanning his outfit up and down. "On second thought, don't answer that."

"You little cunt."

"Excuse me, what was that?"

"You heard me." He flung the barber shears at her head. Her eyes widened and she quickly leapt to the side. Mercury pulled another blade from his back pocket and tackled her to the ground. She'd left herself wide open! Crap! She let out a loud grunt as he pinned her body over her wrists and held the blade to her throat. She looked up into his eyes as her chest slowly rose and fell. "Go ahead, knock off my glasses."

"Fuck you." She let out a grunt as he thrust his elbow into her stomach and pushed the knife against her throat. If he applied any pressure, she was a goner. It was best to avoid testing this. She slowed her breathing and closed her eyes.

"You're not really in the position to say that. Are you now?" The pounding stopped, had Jason given up? She opened her eyes and looked to the windows. Jason was no longer there. No, that couldn't be right. She slowly stretched her arm out, trying to reach for the blade on the ground, but it was too far from her. She was screwed. "It was nice knowing you, Vega. I'll be sure to let your family know you went out fighting."

"You think it's over, you space age freak of nature? Is that what you think?" She could see her life flashing before her eyes. As her heart started to frantically increase in speed, she was only becoming more and more afraid of impending death. "You think I'm just going to give up like that? You're dead wrong."

"Hmm, I'd say you're the one that's dead." He withdrew the blade and moved it along her body to point just above her heart. Her eyes widened as he started turning the blade to a ninety-degree angle. "I'm going to carve you up. Got that? Anything left to say?"

"Just one…I think your salon is incredibly tacky."

"What?" His expression fell flat and she closed her eyes, nodding with certainty. "Seriously? That's it? That my salon is _tacky_?"

"Yes. It's tacky and needs a makeover. Contrary to popular belief, retro is _not_ in." She took a deep breath and felt her body starting to ache. God she wanted to get out of here.

"Whatever. Goodbye Trina." Just as he lifted his hand to make his first stab, the back door flew open and he froze. Trina tilted her head back to see a tall woman with long red hair standing in the doorway, she was holding two bloody knives. Her eyes were wide and a sword was piercing through her abdomen. "V-Venus! Venus baby!" Her face scrunched in pain and she let out a whimper as she fell to the ground. Christy revealed herself, panting heavily, her martial arts uniform was soaked red from a mixture of her blood and various gang members.

Before anyone could react to anything at all, the front doors crashed open, Sikowitz had just driven his van through. Glass flew out all across the room. Mercury slowly looked back as Jason stepped into view and fired a gunshot into the back of his neck. "Get off her." The man gurgled and fell to the side. Trina's eyes were wide with shock, she was too stunned to even move. Christy dropped her sword and ran to her side.

"Trina! Are you okay?" Trina scrunched her face and let out a very tiny whimper. Of course Jason hadn't left her, why would he? Same for Christy, she made it. Jason ran to her side and knelt down.

"Trina, talk to me."

"I-I-I was so close…" She tried to sit up, so Jason helped steady her by placing a gentle hand against her back. Christy did the same. It was a damn good thing they packed those guns. She threw her arms around Jason's neck and brought her forehead against his shoulder. "I couldn't move out from under him. I know I'm not weak, but damn it, I was open! Sikowitz warned me about being open…"

"We all make mistakes," Sikowitz commented as he walked up to them. "It happens. Glad we managed to get inside in time." He looked back to his car, still in good shape, and took a deep breath. "Christy, let's back that car out of the salon." Christy gave him a look, then looked back to Trina for a second. She pressed her lips together and slowly stood up.

"All right." After the two of them were gone, Trina pulled her head back and looked into Jason's eyes.

"You're seeing me at my worst right now, Jason." Jason smiled at her and lifted his hand, brushing her hair back.

"I'm just glad to be seeing you at all." She closed her eyes and chuckled dryly. She had a lot to learn. She probably could have gotten away from Mercury in hindsight. "What happened in here…"

"I got cocky."

"Well then…" He smirked and tilted his head to the right. "Don't get cocky."

"Now there's an idea. Nice to see you kept trying to get in…"

"I couldn't lose you." She swallowed and cleared her throat. She really couldn't think of a damn thing to say to him. She was ashamed that it came to her being whittled to a helpless being.

"I could have gotten away from him."

"Yeah you could have, but you didn't."

"True. I don't know what I'd do without you and Christy. Without you."

"I'd be lost without you. Just saying." Her heart pulsed and her eyes flicked to his. So soft, so genuine. The heat shot up to her cheeks and her lips separated. Jason's eyes drifted to her lips. Was he going to kiss her? Now wasn't the right time, was it? They still had to save the others. But she _wanted_ this kiss to happen. Why? Why did she want that? Her heart pounded heavily in her chest and her lips trembled with longing. She closed her eyes and started to lean forward.

Just as their lips started to brush together, sending a spark through their bodies, they were interrupted by a loud moan. Jason pulled away and her body flushed. They looked over to the door and saw Venus rolling onto her back, she was still alive! "What do we do about her?" Trina asked as she pulled away half-heartedly. She was pissed.

"I guess we could at least try to bandage that wound and let the police do the rest."

"Right…I'll go get Christy…" She turned away and cursed beneath her breath. Jason touched his fingers to his lips and slowly shook his head. There would be time for feelings and emotions later, right now Venus was just a reminder that more important things were at stake here.

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><p>Well, Sector C's out in an epic chapter. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, and then read the next and comment, have a feeling you're going to like it. I'm going to double update because I didn't get around to updating last night's.<p> 


	16. Goodbye Lone Wolf

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 15 (Goodbye Lone Wolf)<p>

This time, she decided to soak herself in the new motel's bathtub, Jason and the others were roaming about the Motel 6. It was late, but everything would close at midnight. Trina leaned her head back in the tub and ran the soapy water along her arm. She breathed out slowly and closed her eyes. She didn't really want to be alone right now, but she did just want to think about everything going on. She needed things to slow down, even though that would likely never happen.

Tori's dainty laugh echoed through her head. That sweet girl, the best sister she could ever have asked for, and now she was gone. Her eyes opened and drifted to the necklace on the bathroom counter next to the sink. Her chest tightened and tears dripped slowly along her cheeks. All because of a damned necklace. Why? Why did things have to be so damn difficult? Why did she have to suffer through this pain? She breathed in and closed her eyes, she would give anything to have her sister back. If she let down everyone in the world, but had Tori at her side, she would be happy.

But no, she wouldn't be happy. She wouldn't let anyone down and Tori would never be by her side again. That picture, the girl in that picture, the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't fight those doubts of it being Tori. The girl hadn't done anything wrong! She'd been completely, totally innocent of every possible crime that she could have committed. She couldn't save her. Nothing she could do would ever bring her back.

She splashed the water and stared ahead at the tiled wall in front of her. The silence in the air was deafening, gruesome. She started to sink herself beneath the water, once more rising out her hair. She closed her eyes as the front door opened and closed, she heard someone walk in and sighed, generating bubbles beneath the water. How nice, someone finally came back. The bathroom door started shaking and she quickly rose her head from the water, raising an eyebrow. Before she could say anything, the door opened and her gaze locked with Jason's. His cheeks shot neon red. "Trina! Sorry, I didn't know you were-"

"Yeah, taking a bath here." She didn't really feel like shooing him out. Sure she was naked, but it wasn't like Jason would do anything. Besides, all the soap bubbles in the water covered her like a snow white blanket. "Would you stay in here with me though? Talk to me…" He raised an eyebrow and slowly stepped in, closing the door.

"Why? What's going on?" He looked back at the door and chuckled briskly. "Besides you forgetting to lock the bathroom door." He was covered in sweat, even his shirt had a big wet sweat stain on his chest. He probably had gone to the workout room and was coming back to take a shower. She probably shouldn't stay in much longer. He moved to the toilet next to the bathtub and sat down on the closed top.

"I'm just thinking about stuff. You know, it's great we saved Robbie, but no matter what…we can't save Tori…can we?" He pressed his lips together and bowed his head. He clasped his hands together and tapped his knuckles on the toilet seat. "I hate this. I just want…I want to feel like Tori's safe and happy, but I can't feel that way. I don't know why."

"Well maybe…" She lifted her head to him, her eyebrows were meshed with sadness and her heart was beating very slowly. Her breath hitched and her body started to tense up. "Maybe you can save her. Her memory."

"Memory?"

"Yeah. You know…a little part of her lives on within you, within all her friends, and the more you save them, the more you save that part of her memory." Her heart started to lift from the murk, but she still couldn't simply shrug off that sadness in her. "I know you're angry, you're hurt, you're sad, scared, and well…there are so many emotions that everyone involved is feeling, so you're not alone."

"I know, I haven't been alone, but sometimes it still feels that way. It's always felt that way…" Even when Tori was safe, when everything felt _normal_, she'd always wanted the chance to mix with her sister's friends and be happy, but they never wanted her around. Her parents didn't help much, even though most of the time they only _joked_ about her presence being unneeded around them, it still hit her a bit. Even with Jason and Christy, there were days she just disconnected herself from them.

Jason reached over to her hand resting on the edge of the bathtub, he put his hand over hers and continued to stare into her eyes. "Trina, we _know_ you've been like that. As long as we've known you, you've always put yourself down or kept to yourself, even when you didn't need to. You don't talk about yourself much, Christy and I are your best friends, and best friends are there for a reason. To help lift their friends up. You're _not_ alone, unless you make it that way. You have all of us here."

"When you say that…"

"Me, Christy, Uncle Erwin, the Chief of Police and the Assistant Chief, your parents…and frankly right now, the whole damn town is practically rallying up behind you!" Her lip curled up slightly and her heart started to fill with hope. It did feel good to know that she had the support of others. "You've always relied on yourself, Trina, but you don't need to. You don't need to be the lone wolf that you've always been."

"It's hard not to be. I've always had to depend on myself…hell, having all these people depending on me is hard enough. I mean Tori depended on me and I failed her, what if…what if I fail anyone else?"

"Then we're all still with you. Christy and I are dealing with the same thoughts, the same pressures. We know what you're going through, we do. You've always thought that you had to go through life alone because you were the only one who knew what you were dealing with, but you're not."

Her body trembled with fear and anxiety, her heart scattered its beats along her body and her eyes darted towards the wall. What did he know? Probably a lot more than she was giving him credit for. They did, in a way, make the same promises to everyone out there that she had. So fears, they were going through them, pressures, they had them. "Also, the whole lone wolf complex? Feeling like you're alone in the world…Trina, take a look at your closest friends." Her eyebrows rose and she met Jason's eyes with confusion and question. "Christy struggles under her brother's success, feeling like her parents completely ignore her…hell, they haven't even called her since we've been gone!" Her lips parted and anger shot past through her. How dare they not show some concern for their daughter?

"You're sure they didn't?"

"That's what she says, but she hasn't really checked her phone in a while. Either way, she's always going on about being alone. Then there's me, stuck with an Uncle always pressuring me, and he's literally the _only_ family I still have left. I don't have anyone else to talk to about this stuff, except grandma, who happens to be on dialysis and needs to be taken care of…she could die any day now, the doctor says."

"I didn't know about that."

"Course not, I keep it to myself. I don't have to, but I choose to. Christy doesn't have to talk about her problems, but she chooses to because she has two best friends that can make her feel better. Now then, there's you."

"What do you know?" He smirked, as if he'd just been challenged, and he would rise to meet it. He pulled his arms back and folded them against his chest, still locking onto her gaze.

"When you were young, family was your whole world. Still is, but at some point of time, your dad started working more often due to promotions in the squad. Your mom became overprotective of Tori, because as a little girl, Tori got lost in some cavern that your family went to on vacation. Got separated from the tour guide, so dark, she fell into some water and nearly drowned. Thankfully you had found her in time."

Damn he was good, but how did he know these things? She probably talked about it before. He was right, though. Tori always hated water and the dark, ever since that event. There was a time when their house had a leak in the roof, in the middle of the night, Trina had been awakened by Tori's crying in the next room over. She ended up sleeping through the rest of the night with her.

Trina smiled and slowly wiped a tear from her eyes, Tori always needed her big sister. "Then when you became a teenager, things changed, right? Tori wound up doing great things, she didn't need her sister anymore. She was gaining friends and popularity, so you left to Hollywood Arts. You knew some martial arts. Then she winds up singing some song you wanted to sing, gets into the school with ease. She still doesn't need you…"

"Yeah…" She bowed her head and closed her hands. Her heart ached as she recalled just how _perfect_ Tori had become. She still loved her though, she always would. She always wanted her sister to need her again, she always wanted to be the one to hold her and help her. Her mind ran through the memory of that same nine year old girl that needed her because of a simple leak, and her lips curved into a smile.

_Trina woke up to a sharp cry running through the air, she moaned lightly and looked around. Tori was crying? The parents were downstairs, they couldn't hear her. She slowly rose from her bed and left her room, moving across the hallway. She flipped on the hallway light switch and looked to her right. There was a large yellow bucket in the middle of the hallway, catching raindrops until the rain let up and they could get the leak fixed. That noise was echoing through the air, anyone on the floor could hear it._

_ Tori's sobs became muffled and started to turn to quick whimpers. "I don't wanna die!" Tori screamed out. "I'm going to drown! I'm going to drown and I can't see anything!" _

_ "Tori." Trina opened the door and light spilled out onto the bed. Tori was gripping her covers with her hands and biting down on them with her teeth. Her eyes were clenched shut and her body was trembling. Trina quickly moved to her sister and wrapped her arms around her. "Tori it's okay, you're safe now."_

_ "Tri-Tri?" Tori slowly opened her eyes and met Trina's sisterly gaze. She quickly wrapped her arms around her waist and sobbed._

_ "It's too dark Trina, there's water and I'm scared." _

_ "It's just the leak, there's no water and you're not drowning. Come on, I'll let you sleep in my bed if you want." Tori nodded as Trina threw the covers back. "Come on, let's get you out of here. Your big sis has you." Tori buried her face into Trina's pajamas and sobbed once._

_ "I love you, Sis."_

Trina opened her eyes as the tears ran down her face. God she wanted to be with Tori. "She's not that little girl anymore, Jason. She has her friends and always let them say whatever they want about me. It's like…it's like she'd forgotten about her big sister. Now the one time she needed me again…"

"You want to know the truth? I don't think she ever _stopped_ needing you." She bowed her head and slowly lifted her shoulders. "Don't give up on her, Trina. Whether or not she's gone, she still needs you…her friends are still out there."

Maybe that was the one way to save her, to save her friends. But in order for them to depend on her, she had to learn to depend on others. Maybe she really wasn't as alone as she thought she was. "Yeah…How do you even know all this?"

"I pay attention." He smiled at her and rose from the toilet. She watched him with a smile of admiration as he pulled a towel from the top rack. "You've talked about all these things before at one time or another. I don't forget what people tell me."

"That's very good of you." He smiled at her and set the towel down beside her and started to walk towards the door. He glanced back at her, his eyes were filled with some pure emotion that always seemed to be there. Her heart started to pound as she reached over to the towel. "I'll get out so you can take a shower…"

"All right." She waited until he left, then slowly stood up from the tub. She wrapped the warm towel around her body and moved out of the bathtub.

_"Never stopped needing me, huh?"_ He always seemed to know what to say. She probably wouldn't stop needing Jason and Christy, even if she acted like she didn't. She'd go nuts without them. _"I'm not alone…never have been, they've always known more about me and how I've felt, more so than even I know."_

As she dried off, running the warm towel along her arms, she imagined Tori crying somewhere in the dark. Somewhere, tortured and crying for her sister, screaming for her. It broke her heart. She let her mind wander into that cavern, the Mammoth Caverns in Kansas. Tori was only seven at the time, it was her first big family vacation.

_"David? David where's our daughter!" Holly shouted over the tour group. David glanced around, anxiety growing upon his face. Trina watched her parents as the group stopped walking. "Tori's missing! Tori? Tori!" Trina's eyes widened as the tour guide began insisting that they start looking for her._

_ As everyone began moving around, calling for Tori, Trina started to eye the surroundings. There was a small hole in a nearby wall, small enough for any kids their age to wander around in. Some small rocks and rubble had been scattered around the area, indicating that someone may have crawled in. She ran to the hole and started pointing. "Mommy! Mommy, Daddy, what if she crawled through here!" The two looked over and Holly practically fainted when her eyes fell onto the hole. The tour guide's face lost its color and he frantically looked around._

_ "That hole was blocked off, it goes into a room with only one other opening. If your daughter went in there, she probably wouldn't be able to see. We need to hurry, I know where it opens up. There's a deep water pit in there, if your girl goes in there, she won't be able to get out." Holly fainted in David's arms. Only Trina knew how to swim, having learned to swim at camp. She'd gone to some survival camp over the summer, and they taught the people there everything._

_ Once the tour guide ran off with the group, seemingly forgetting about Trina, she decided to take matters into her own hands and start crawling through the tunnel. It wasn't a long crawl, probably about three minutes. When she came out onto the other side, she heard splashing sounds and cries of a girl calling for help. "Tori!"_

_ She could barely see, but there was a hole in the top of the cavern, creating enough light to make out the silhouette of a young girl sinking and splashing into the water. She had to work fast! Panic and adrenaline coursed through her veins. She saw a rope on the ground, possibly left over from some prior tour. She grabbed the rope and tied it around her waist while running to a stalagmite on the ground nearby, within seconds she'd tied the rope around it and dove into the water._

_ "I'm coming Tori!" She felt the vibrations of Tori's feet kicking through the water and quickly swam towards her baby sister. The kicking was slowing, however, meaning the girl was quickly losing the battle. With a burst of energy, she shot forward and wrapped her arms around Tori's waist. She surfaced and grabbed at the rope with one hand. Her breathes were coming out in a quick pant and she quickly threw her head back. "We're back here! Hurry!" Tori was barely moving, but at least she was had a pulse._

_ Trina swallowed hard and started pulling on the rope, bringing herself closer to shore. Once on the ground, she laid her sister down and tried to remember what the camp leaders told her to do for someone that was drowning. She swallowed and quickly reached forward, tilting Tori's head back, clasping her nose shut. She leaned forward and breathed into Tori's mouth, two quick rescue breaths. She continued doing this until Tori spit up the water and slowly opened her eyes. "Tri-Tri?" _

_ "Hey Tori…" Trina's eyes were wet with tears and relief washed over her. She quickly hugged Tori close, letting the girl's cold shivers die down. It wasn't long before they felt their parents arms. All that mattered was that Tori was safe. _

Trina threw the towel over the shower rod and pulled her jeans up. She inhaled deeply and turned towards the door. After she put her shirt on, she left the bathroom. Jason was sitting on the edge of the bed, eating some granola bar. "Where'd you get that from?" He lifted his eyes to her and smiled.

"Vending machine. How you doing?"

"Good." She moved beside him and stared ahead at the television screen. The police were currently at the Salon, talking about the events to come regarding the now deceased hair stylist. She'd left a note for Michael, explaining exactly what went down. Apparently Venus had survived her stab wound. "What happened there, Jason…you know, I've always tried to be there whenever Tori needed me. I've never needed anyone else because people depended on me."

"Yeah, and you're a strong person, you don't _need_ to depend on anyone."

"But it never hurts to have people to fall back on. Back there…my mind was on you, Christy, and even Sikowitz. I needed you then, and you all came through. Never gave up…"

"Couldn't give up on you." Her lips thinned and she slowly turned her gaze to him. His hand was resting on the bed between them, so she moved her hand over his. He looked at her, still smiling for her. She did need him, she still needed him, and she needed Christy.

"Whatever happens. I'm just glad I have you guys by my side. Maybe you're right, maybe I don't need to be alone, maybe I'm not alone. I know when I need you, and I may need you to hold me back if I go ballistic on these freaks. I know you and Christy are fully capable of comforting me if I break down. I…I do need you, I can depend on you to save me if I'm drowning…"

"Always." His voice softened. Her cheeks reddened and her heart's pulsating seemed to increase. She lifted her hand to his cheek and slowly leaned forward, kissing his lips. His eyes closed and he put his hand on her waist, kissing back. Warmth flooded her body and her hair began to stand on end. The passion of one kiss, too intense, but she loved it. What a story, Sikowitz's nephew, but she didn't care. He meant so much to her.

As she pulled away from him, her eyes opened into his. Her cheeks were full with color and her heart filled with joy. Could she really trust herself to this feeling, this emotion? In such a dangerous situation, she couldn't stand the thought of losing him. "I-I think you should take your shower…" She could hardly speak.

"I should..." She leaned forward and stopped herself, clearing her throat. He moved his hand up, caressing her cheek. Her heart leapt into her throat as she brought her hand up, holding his. "I'm always going to be at your side."

"Just promise me one thing…we can put any kind of relationship on hold until everything's calm again…I-I can't stand the thought of losing you, Jason. Christy either, but…" He slowly nodded and withdrew his hand from her. Her cheek felt so bare without his caress.

"You won't lose us, and you won't lose me."

"I can't lose anyone else."

"You won't, but you don't have to be alone anymore either."

"I'm not alone."

"Exactly." Her body trembled as she watched him grab his fresh clothes from the bed and walk towards the bathroom. After he was inside, she saw the motel door open wide, Christy and Sikowitz entered inside.

"You know they have a great restaurant next to the motel," Sikowitz commented while rubbing his stomach. Christy glanced at him and slowly shook her head. Her hair was wet and a towel wrapped around her bikini, she'd smelled of chlorine.

"I guess Jason's in the shower, I'll wait." Trina's eyes started to water and she quickly moved over to them. They looked at her astonishingly as she wrapped her arms around their necks. "Trina? You okay?" She slowly nodded her head as her best friend and her teacher pat her on the back. No words were needed, they understood her feelings well enough. They were all in this to the end, no matter what.

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><p>A bit of an emotional chapter if I say so myself, some old memories, some worries discussed and all, let me know your thoughts.<p> 


	17. Hostage Trapped

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N: Early update for this reason, KARATE QUEEN, A RESPONSE TO YOU: JASON SIKOWITZ IS NOT AN OC, AGAIN, HE IS NOT AN OC! He is in "Sleepover with Sikowitz", Sikowitz's nephew that comes down the stairs, making Cat break character. I've explained this to you through the chapter a while back, but I don't think you got that, unfortunately. So again: JASON AND CHRISTY ARE NOT OC CHARACTERS, THEY ARE ACTUAL MINOR CHARACTERS ON THE SHOW.

Now, enjoy chapter 16.

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><p>Chapter 16 (Hostage Trapped)<p>

"Why are we still here?" Warren asked. Michael scanned the back rooms with his eyes, the blood along the walls indicated a definite warzone. Though strangely enough, almost every single body they found, the person was alive and well, just wounded in some non-vital part of their body. The back doors had been locked tight and the police arrived with enough time to not only hand Venus off to the paramedics, but to keep anyone from escaping. Christy was definitely doing a good job not killing anyone with that sword of hers. "Didn't Trina's note indicate that there was nothing more here?"

"Yes, and it's a shame we'll have to close down a perfectly good salon. My wife used to come here a lot, Venus was her hairstylist, and a good one at that." He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing. In Trina's note, she indicated that her own life had been put at risk, so adrenaline fueling everyone involved, Christy wouldn't have had time to stop and think. "All the bodies are gone, right?"

"Yes." Well if his head wasn't pounding, something was. Only it was so faint that he couldn't hear it with Warren talking. He put his finger to his lips and motioned to his ear. Warren nodded and started looking around. There it was again, something tapping on a wall. Warren's brow furrowed and he looked to Michael, pointing off to the opposite side. "Do you hear that?"

"It's coming from the back bathroom!" Michael turned and ran for the restroom, Warren followed close behind. The Chief tore the bathroom door open and stopped moving once Michael entered. They kept quiet and listened, the tapping was now at its loudest. When he looked to the far right wall, he saw something strange. The wall was made of white bricks, but there was one large rectangle board, painted white, that was bolted to the wall. He nudged Warren and pointed. "Okay, fifty bucks says the tapping's coming from there." Warren raised an eyebrow and nodded his head.

"I'm not betting against you, I'll lose." Warren rushed forward and started tapping against the wood. "Hello? Is anyone in there?" He turned his head to Michael and blinked once. "Do I look crazy talking to a board?"

"Yes." He walked up and listened as he heard muffled shouting. He was gutted by the fear and realization that there _was_ someone inside! "Shit, call for backup Warren, let's get them back here!" Warren already had the radio in his hand.

"A step ahead of you." Michael nodded as Warren called the backup. His stomach turned inside and he clenched his fists with anger. Was that their plan? Leaving hostages behind to die should their bases be discovered? What if they didn't find this person, what if this person died?

"Listen, stay calm, we've called for help." He heard the hostage try to speak, but his voice was very muffled and very confused. "Don't be scared. I'm the Assistant Chief of Police, Michael…we're going to get you out of here." He felt of the top of the board. There was just enough space that the person would have been getting air, but not a whole lot of air, he had maybe an hour or two left before his body would have started shutting down. Maybe not even that long. "Warren, how soon is help?"

"The nearest squad car is about ten minutes away, the paramedics are also on their way. Can we get this board off here?" Michael tried pulling on the board, it wasn't thin at all, so it couldn't just be torn away. Unfortunately. "Trina is not going to like knowing she _missed_ a hostage."

"It wasn't her fault, Mercury had her pinned and Christy didn't know there was anyone back here."

"True." They heard another grunt of confusion from the hostage, it sounded as if he was questioning the mention of Trina. He reached around his waist and gasped, he'd forgotten about his police baton. Thinking fast, he whipped his baton from his belt and started to jam it in between the space between the wall and board.

"Warren help me out! I'm going to try pushing this board off with the baton, start pulling the board. Maybe together we can get this thing off!"

"Right!" Warren started pulling at the top as Michael started pushing, grunting with effort. The hostage let out a muffled yelp, but the two men continued on. The board started bending and weakening. "It's working! Keep at it!" Michael nodded and continued the strain until the board cracked enough that the board split right down the middle. They couldn't pull the board off, due to the bolts, however.

"Okay, we've broken the board, how can we get this thing to open?" He studied the split and followed the board to the sides. If they were to split the vertical boards across horizontally, they could probably spin the boards around with the bolts. "Take your baton, shove it under the right board and try to break it. I'll do the same with this one." The two men shoved their batons through the crack and out the side of the board, than started pulling with all their might. As they let out a shout of effort, the boards split and tore with the batons. The two men pushed the boards up, sliding them around the bolts and revealing a large cubbyhole.

Sitting there in the dark, his eyes wide, Andre had tears streaming his face. His hands were tied behind his back and his legs were bent Indian style, tucked underneath him. His hair had been completely shaved off and a white washcloth was tied in his mouth and around his face. Warren reached in and carefully pulled him from the hole. He the rag from Andre's mouth as Michael caught his legs.

Andre's legs felt heavy and limp, they were not moving an inch, even though Andre was moving his upper body. Michael's eyes widened as he lifted his gaze to Warren. "Come on, let's get him out of here."

The two men carried Andre through the halls as the youth continued to cry. His entire body was soaked with sweat and quivering, almost as though he were going into shock. "I can't move my legs!" Andre screamed.

"It's okay, help is on the way." When they made it out into the front area, Andre stared in shock at the damage, it was almost as if someone plowed through the front doors with a car! Blood was pooled in two places.

"W-What happened? I heard shouting earlier…" The two carried him out and laid him down on the grass. They could hear the sirens of the police and paramedics whirling through the streets.

"Your friend Trina happened." The boy's eyes widened as Michael looked into the distance. He was growing impatient, what was taking the paramedics so long? "She and her friends helped take out this sector of the gang that took you. Here's her note…" Michael showed Andre the note. Andre closed his eyes and started weeping.

"Why would she…where's my family?"

"Not entirely sure, Trina told them to leave town until it was safe. Hell, we don't even know where Trina is. Do you understand, though, you're safe now." Andre slowly nodded and brought his hands to his head.

"That man cut off my hair!" Michael was tapping Andre's knees, but the boy hadn't even noticed it yet. His face fell and Warren slowly closed his eyes. At least he was safe and alive, but unfortunately the gang left him with a lasting memory. One more lasting than his hair situation, that could grow back.

"Andre, I know it's hard, but I need you to answer one question. We'll get your statement more after a while, but right now…how long have you been unable to walk?" Andre closed his eyes and whimpered.

"Since the gang took us from the Vegas. They stabbed me somewhere in the back, the wound's healed I think…they've carried me everywhere. Am I going to be able to walk again?" Michael closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. If the gang destroyed Andre's sciatic nerve, then there was a chance he would never walk again, "Don't sugarcoat it!" Andre's eyes widened fearfully, his eyes glazed with tears.

"I don't know son, the paramedics will let you know that. Trina probably would want you safe with your family and not in a hospital where the gang could find you, but until we can find your family, we'll have to take you to a safe house."

"Trina? Is she okay? Do you know?"

"Knowing her, she's resilient as she is determined, I imagine she's just fine. This war against the Assassins will probably lead us into some more people taken out tomorrow." Michael was still wanting to reach Trina before the next body he found was _hers_.

"When can I see my family? When?"

"Soon." The paramedics and a police squad car pulled onto the street at the same time. Andre winced at the ear-piercing sirens. Warren quickly motioned for the police and ambulance to kill the sirens, they did as told. Andre whimpered and brought his hands to his face.

"Oh god the others! They're still with the gang! The Vegas, Beck, Robbie, Cat, Jade…" Warren glanced down and Michael's face softened. Maybe if Andre could contact the Shapiro family or his own family to pick him up, that would be great. Though, chances were he didn't have his cell phone any longer.

"Do you _have_ your phone?"

"No sir, the gang destroyed all our phones."

"I see. Andre, Robbie is safe." Andre gasped and pulled his hands away, staring up in confusion.

"S-Safe? Robbie's safe?"

"Yes, Trina and her friends found him at the Gorilla Club." He chuckled through his tears and smiled as Andre's eyes started to fill with hope. "You should have seen the decimation left behind. I swear it was in worse shape than this salon!" A chuckle left Andre's lips as the paramedics started to lift him up onto the stretcher. "You're going to be just fine Andre, you're safe now."

"Thank you sir…if you do manage to find Trina, let her know, I'm thanking her so much right now…" Michael nodded and glanced at Warren, who was rubbing the back of his head.

"What are we going to do?" Warren asked with a shaky voice. "The hospital is _not_ safe. We don't know how many gang members would likely be there. Even if we put him under watch, it's dangerous. There's no way to contact Trina or Andre's family."

"I know, I'm wondering the same thing. The paramedics will probably clear him after they're done, so tomorrow he'd be free to leave, whoever claims him." Andre didn't have any present wounds that they saw, just one large gash on his back which had been sewn up and bandaged. Michael wanted to find Trina or Andre's family, so they could take him safely from the hospital.

"We'll tell the paramedics to put him under strict surveillance until we can locate his family." As they were talking, an older man started making his way towards them from his brown sedan. Michael recognized him as Dr. Richards.

"What's going on here?" Dr. Richards asked while glancing over at the paramedics. "I was driving down the street when I saw them zipping past me, I thought everything had been cleared?"

"Yes," Michael replied with a soft tone. "We just found Andre Harris trapped inside. Apparently the police missed him earlier." The good doctor was surprised and relieved by this news. He eyed the paramedics and rubbed his chin.

"Can you direct them towards my home? I would like to treat him for his injuries. I think I can get in touch with his family." Michael and Warren exchanged glances and lifted their shoulders. What else did they have to lose? They knew the doctor had everything at his disposal and would likely be safer than the hospital.

"All right, let us know what happens. If you need anything, call us."

"I will."

After the journey was made and Andre was asleep at Dr. Richard's home, all his wounds patched up, the good doctor called up the number for Trina. He knew that Trina had told each and every family _not_ to accept any calls from _anyone_ that was calling from a number besides hers. Right now, she was the only one that anyone could trust.

Once Trina answered, her voice groggy and tired, she practically snapped at him for waking her at one in the morning. "What is it Dr. Richards?"

"You need to get to my place as soon as you can. Andre Harris has been found."

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><p>Let me know what you thought, at least Andre's alive. The next chapter's going to be pretty intense, so stick around. I had to update quickly. And another reminder for anyone that is still doubtful: Jason Sikowitz and Christy Vicarious are NOT OCs, they are actual minor characters on the show.<p> 


	18. Feelings of Betrayal

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N: KARATE, this is for you: Don't feel embarrassed, you're not the first to confuse Jason and Christy as OCs, and you won't be the last. I'm not annoyed with you at all XD. Enjoy the chapter.

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><p>Chapter 17 (Feelings of Betrayal)<p>

"Get up!" Trina screeched. Christy and Jason both practically fell from their beds. Sikowitz sat up quickly and stared at Trina with wide eyes. Christy rubbed her head and stared up from the ground, she'd just taken a hard crash and did not look at all pleased with Trina. Trina was fully dressed, which threw the others off. Jason rubbed his hands over his face and looked at the clock with a heavy sigh. "Sorry for the rude awakening, but hurry and get dressed, we need to get over to Dr. Richard's place."

"Why?" Christy asked, pulling herself up.

"Andre's with him!" The others froze and looked up with shock and confusion. "Apparently Mercury and Venus had him trapped in some hole in the back rooms."

"Seriously? I ran through those! How could I have missed him?"

"Bathroom, plus, you were trying to reach me…" She didn't feel too bad about having missed Andre, but she did feel stupid. They usually searched a place, but thanks to what happened, she wrote that note so quickly with the intention of just leaving. The only thing they did was make sure no one could leave through the back. They really should have searched the place. "Anyway, Chiefs Warren and Michael found him. Apparently Dr. Richards stumbled across them and suggested Andre be taken to his place. We need to go, get Andre, and take him some place safe. His family needs to be able to know he's safe." The others climbed from the beds and started grabbing for fresh clothes. As they did this, Trina remembered another vital piece of information. Her heart sank and her arms lowered. "Another thing, we'll need to grab a wheelchair."

"Why's that?" Sikowitz asked, pulling on his brown jacket. Jason and Christy met her eyes. Their gazes fell and they exchanged mournful gazes. They understood without her telling them. Sikowitz froze, realization suddenly dawning on him, what other reason would people need a wheelchair for besides either recovery or being unable to walk. "Don't tell me…" He looked over at her, his lips parted and his eyebrows rose high. "He's only recovering, right?"

"Dr. Richards said his sciatic nerve is ruptured. He may never be able to walk again…" The teacher cursed and Christy snapped her fingers. "Either way, it's a good thing he's alive and the chiefs found him. The place he was put in had very little air, he could have been dead by morning." She was truly getting tired of this whole hostage nearly dying thing.

"Sounds like the gang know you've decided to go against them."

"Probably, and I guess that's why they have the hostages in situations bringing them close to death." As if they were unable to reach the hostages, bringing about their swift death whenever she showed up was probably so they could use them to further frighten her into doing their bidding. She narrowed her eyes and closed her hands up. "It won't work."

"Right, we'd better get moving." Sikowitz quickly rushed for the door, Christy followed after. Jason and Trina met each other's eyes for a split second, nodded their determination, and ran off. The sooner they got to Andre, the better.

Dr. Richards was only about twenty minutes from their designated motel. When they arrived, they saw the good doctor watching television. Andre was asleep still in the chair. The doctor looked up at them and smiled. "Glad you're finally here. While I was operating on Andre, I discovered something." He rose and his lips frowned. "Trina, you won't like this."

"What's wrong?"

"It is no longer safe for me to remain in my home. Do you remember my nurse? The assistant that I've always had at my side when I delivered you and your sister?" Trina slowly nodded her head and felt her heart sink. Christy put her hand to her shoulder, even she was suspecting the worst from the doctor's words.

"Yeah, Tori and I grew up with her taking care of us, of course I remember her. If it wasn't you, it was her. Nurse Bethany. Sweet old lady."

"Yes, and like a fool I've been in contact with her." Trina started to pale and her friends smacked their foreheads. That was an obvious prelude to something worse. She was praying he wouldn't say Bethany was involved. Not her, not such a sweet nurse.

_"Dr. Richards isn't in today," Nurse Bethany said as ten year old Trina and nine year old Tori sat on the examination table. They pouted their lips at the lady with curly brown and grey hair. Her round face was made rounder with her large smile._

_ "Why not?" Tori asked as she hopped off the operating table. The girl tugged at Bethany's shirt and gazed up at the woman. "Where is he?"_

_ "He's assisting with a surgery right now, but that's all right. I'll take good care of you." Tori smiled and looked to the parents who were sitting in the chairs on the other side of the room. "Now if you and Trina are good little girls, I'll give you a lollipop."_

_ "Yay! We love you Nurse Bethany!" Bethany smiled and helped Tori back onto the table with her sister. The woman pulled out two tongue depressors and moved over, the girls were being checked for possible strep throat. No matter what the situation was, they always felt better after seeing her. _

_ After everything was said and done, Tori had signs of strep while Trina did not. Bethany told the parents what antibiotics were necessary and then held out several lollipops for the girls to choose from. "Okay girls. We have cherry, root beer, apple, lemon, grape-"_

_ "I want this one!" Trina said while grabbing one of the cherry flavored pops. Tori gasped with delight and pulled a second cherry, following suit with her sister. Bethany smiled once more and put the lollipops back as David stepped behind the girls._

_ "Girls, what do you say to Miss Bethany?" _

_ "Thank you Nurse Bethany!" They chimed after throwing the lollipops into their mouths. Bethany turned to them and nodded._

_ "It's no trouble, anything for my two favorite sweeties."_

"Dr. Richards, if you're about to tell me that Nurse Bethany-" She breathed in and looked over to Andre, who was opening his eyes. Dr. Richards bowed his head and closed his eyes.

"Nurse Bethany is the wife of the gang's head boss." Suddenly her heart shattered and she fell to her knees. The shock of the reality was too great to bear. _Bethany_ was practically the leader of the entire gang, if this was true!

"N-No, I-I can't…how do you know?"

"Because she called me. I didn't know her connection, _honest_. She informed me afterwards that it was _her_ who operated on the hostages and healed their wounds. I wondered why Andre's stitch was so professional, and now I know…"

"And you still told her about Andre?" Christy asked with biting anger in her voice. Trina whimpered as Christy stepped forward and pointed at the doctor, who bowed his head with shame. "Do you realize that you could have thrown the whole situation into jeopardy!"

"I didn't know. We were still in contact after all these years and I informed her that I was treating a boy the police found at the Salon. She betrayed me too. Her husband came on the phone and informed me to keep Andre in place."

"So then Bethany's on her way?" Jason asked.

"I don't know about her. I was told not to move, not to call the police, that I would lose my life with Andre. I 'knew too much'." Jason looked to Trina and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath as Christy let out a loud groan.

"Okay Christy relax. Trina, we can still use Dr. Richard's help, and he'd be better off if he's _with_ us." Trina slowly nodded her head, but couldn't stop shuddering. She couldn't imagine a woman so pure, so nice, could be evil in any way. "If she's informed Dr. Richards that her husband is indeed Giovanni, there's no way in hell the leader of the whole gang is going to send his wife after him. It'll probably be some thug."

"We need to get Dr. Richards and Andre out of here then," Sikowitz replied. Pushed the wheelchair to Andre, who simply stared at it with a deep sorrow. Trina slowly shook it off and rose to her feet, holding onto Jason's hand. She fought back her tears and closed her hands tightly.

"Right, let's not waste any time. Dr. Richards, leave your phone _here_." The old man nodded and set his phone down on the ground. She turned to Andre, and met his anxious eyes. "Andre do you understand what's happening? We're taking you someplace safe and then we'll reunite you with your family."

"O-Okay…Chief Michael said you were involved, I didn't believe it, but…thank you…"

"There will be plenty of time for that, we're not out of the clear yet. Just don't panic."

After loading everyone into the van, Christy was the first to notice two cars speeding towards them. They were unmarked, black vehicles. She nudged Sikowitz from behind and shouted. "Drive! They're here!"

"Everyone hold onto your seats!" Sikowitz shouted while slamming down the gas. Trina looked back from the front passenger seat, Jason was sitting directly behind her. Dr. Richards and Andre were in the third row seats, both men looked heavily frightened. "Grab the guns, shoot out their tires or something!"

"On it!" Jason exclaimed. Dr. Richards paled and handed Christy a pistol, Jason the rifle, and Trina was in charge of the map. They were going to have to lose these cars while going directly for Andre's family. She knew exactly where they went. "Andre, Dr. Richards, stay down!"

"You don't have to tell us twice," Andre responded. The two ducked down as Christy opened the back two windows. The unmarked cars, one large SUV and one sedan, were following them at great speed. Trina looked from her GPS, they had still a good hour before reaching the family's safe house. Christy and Jason looked back, waiting the call to start firing back. Trina studied the cars and frowned, both cars had three shooters and one driver.

"One driver and three shooters in each guys, if you can't take them out, take out the tires. We need to throw them off." She glanced at Sikowitz and smirked as he turned a concerned gaze to her. "Looks like you get to have a little more fun, do whatever you can to _lose_ them. Shake them from our tail without running into anything."

"Got it."

"I'll navigate. Christy, Jason…" Gunshots rang out and started striking the car. Andre screamed in terror and Trina's friends looked to her for direction. "Start shooting damn it!"

Sikowitz veered to the left, driving straight through a red light. The cars followed, still firing. Christy and Jason aimed out their windows and fired at the nearest car. The unmarked SUV was on Jason's side while the sedan was on Christy's. The SUV's window blew out from the rife blast, but they continued driving without a hitch, no one had been hit. "I don't have an infinite amount of bullets in this pistol," Christy muttered as she watched the sedan swerve. She was aiming for the car's tires.

"Hey, I'll hand you this rifle if I have to."

"That's fine Jay, I got this." She narrowed her eyes and fired off another shot, but was jerked back when Sikowitz took a sharp right. "Really?"

"Sorry, getting on the freeway!"

"Ugh." Christy and Jason met each other's eyes and smirked, the freeway would be an interesting place for a chase. "We got this then." Once on the freeway, the driver of the sedan started speeding up, pulling close. Christy tucked back against the chair and waited for a prime moment.

"What exactly are you waiting for?" Jason asked as he aimed out his window at the sedan. He narrowed his eyes and steadied his hand on the trigger. The passenger of the SUV stared back with wide eyes and started to aim his own handgun at him.

"I'm waiting for the sedan to pull up so I can get a good shot in. Hello, _I'm_ not the one with a good weapon."

"Oh really?" He pulled the trigger and watched with a frown as the passenger of the SUV flew back and slumped in his seat, a red stain growing on his chest. "I'd say a sword's a pretty good weapon…Anyway, SUV's down one shooter."

"I'm about to take out the sedan." She aimed her pistol out the window as the sedan closed in on them. Sikowitz looked in the rearview mirror, trying desperately to keep his calm. No one enjoyed this, but it had to be done. As Christy eyed the driver of the sedan, she saw he was dressed up as a hideously ugly and creepy clown. "Ugh I hate clowns, what's the point of that guy being dressed like that?" Trina glanced back and lifted her shoulders.

"He might be a child molester or something. Just shoot." She felt sick to her stomach, more deaths. There was no way to feel good about this. Not now, not knowing that Nurse Bethany had betrayed the Vega family in such a manner. She was pissed, angry. She wanted to know why Bethany would do this to them! "When I see Nurse Bethany, she's got a lot of answering to do…as for her goons…I don't give a shit if you kill them _all!"_ Sikowitz turned his eyes to her and huffed.

"Don't say that Trina, you do not mean that. You can't fight with an angry heart."

"Save it, Sikowitz. I need time to cool off from this!"

"I know…"

"Shut up," Christy said slowly while aiming towards the clown with narrow eyes. None of the sedans gunmen could shoot at her right now, given their position was so close to their van. "I'm trying to focus."

"Sorry about that…"

Sikowitz took another exit ramp that became a very long curvy freeway over a large body of water. Christy clicked her tongue and started to pull the trigger. "God I hate clowns, always have, always will." The bullet fired from the gun and struck the clown in the right shoulder. The driver screamed and swerved, running into the concrete wall. The others watched with wide eyes as the car flipped over the wall and started tumbling towards the water. "Holy shit…"

"Well at least we've narrowed the field of enemies," Jason stated under his breath. Christy slowly nodded and her breathing shuddered.

"Uh huh…" She shook her head and moved her gun towards the SUV. It seemed the passengers of that car were shaken by what they just saw. Try explaining that collateral damage to Chiefs Warren and Michael. Thankfully, one in the morning, there were no drivers on the road. "Jason, did you get anyone else? I know you fired off like three shots since hitting the passenger of the SUV."

"No, I've only hit the front of the car with each shot, but the good thing about having a rifle is, it shoots more than just one bullet."

"Okay. Steady…" She closed one eye as Sikowitz begin driving in a straight line. The SUV started driving from side to side, in an attempt to throw off aiming. She had to sharpen her focus. She swallowed hard and watched their movements. "Jason, they're going from side to side rather slowly, it shouldn't be hard to hit. Fire when the start moving in."

"Got it." She watched the wheels of the car and when her aim was at least in the middle of the SUV's wheels, she fired off a bullet. The SUV jumped and the front driver's side tire blew off.

"Yes!" She heard a rifle blast and watched the driver duck. The passenger right behind him flew back, unconscious, the bullet grazed his head, so he wasn't dead. "One more gunman out." The driver sneered at them as she started aiming for another tire.

Trina stared at the GPS and growled. "Guys hurry up, we have to get off the freeway. I don't want any problems in residential areas."

"Got it Tri." She fired off another bullet just as Jason fired his gun. The front passenger tire blew off and the passenger fell into the driver. The driver slammed on the breaks, spinning into a stop just as Trina nudged Sikowitz.

"Pass this exit! Take the exit after this, we don't want to go directly to the house and leave any clues for the gang to know where we're going."

"Right." He skipped the exit and looked back at the SUV, the driver and remaining passenger had exited the car and were kicking it. Christy and Jason pulled back into the car and sighed as they clicked on the safety on the guns. Andre and Dr. Richards slowly rose up, both trembling with fear. Trina glanced at them as Sikowitz took an exit and the GPS began recalculating.

"Only one other stop now, Andre." His eyes were wet with tears, but his lips were turned in a happy smile. "Be happy you're alive. Your family missed you. You know, your father's waiting for you too."

"R-Really?"

"Yes, he told us he would try to be there for you more than ever upon your safe return." She smiled as he closed his eyes and started to weep for joy. Was it so hard to believe he was safe? Possibly, being in danger was never fun. "I'm going to call them, we're not going directly to their safe house now, we'll meet up elsewhere, so that we know it's safe. Dr. Richards, call Michael."

"What will I tell him?" Dr. Richards asked. She breathed in and narrowed her eyes as she stared directly ahead. She didn't need Michael knowing where she was, but he would need to know what just happened.

"You tell him what happened. Bethany's betrayed us. Tell him that you're going to be staying with us, but still can't divulge our whereabouts. I know he'll try to persuade me to just let the police deal with this…" She closed her hands tightly and growled as she thought about that sweet nurse. Somehow that woman was responsible for Tori, she broke Tori's trust. "But now more than ever, I can't do that. He'll understand. Tell him where to find the sedan and the SUV won't be going anywhere."

"Okay. I'll do that."

"Oh. And keep the phone call short. Under a minute." He nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket. Trina's rage was now greater than before. She did not like traitors all that much, especially not when they were supposed to be _good_ people. "Tomorrow, we take out Mortimer, we strike the beach, we find out where Seth and Lane have their base, then I'm going to find Giovanni and Bethany…and I'm taking them _out_."

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><p>What did you all think of the chase? Oh and SERIOUS QUESTION here: How many of you have watched the show COLD CASE? How many of you know who Detective Scotty Valens is? If you don't, you should do some research *nod*<p> 


	19. House of Horrors

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N: Excellent, at least Karatequeen knows Cold Case. Does ANYONE ELSE know Cold Case as well? I'm strongly considering using Detective Scotty Valens in the upcoming sequel, as a mentor to Trina. Don't want to do that if there aren't a whole lot of people who know him.

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><p>Chapter 18 (House of Horrors)<p>

The next morning, close to noon, the group was already on the road. The night before had been an emotional one indeed. Andre was concerned about that wheelchair, but his family swore they would take care of him and be there for him no matter what, loving him despite his wounds. They suggested he express himself on the piano, and it actually made him feel better. Towards the end of the emotional reunion, he turned to Trina and he told them to make the gang _pay_ for what they did, to suffer for paralyzing him.

Oh, they would do just that.

Once they parked next to the horror shop, Dr. Richards was ordered to stay in the car and not draw attention. Jason grabbed his trusty shotgun, not taking any prisoners this time. Of course, the bullets were blanks, but strong enough to knock someone off their feet and perhaps even unconsciousness. Christy had her sword, as usual. Trina clenched her fists and with a powerful shout, kicked the doors wide open. "Mortimer and Morgan! Get your sorry asses out here! I know you're working with the Assassins, surrender or we kick your fucking asses!"

"Aren't we going to do that anyway?" Sikowitz asked, still standing beside the van. He was to guard it in case anyone tried to attack Dr. Richards. Trina glanced back and shrugged her shoulders, then glanced back in the shop.

"Oh yeah! We're going to do it _anyway!_ You want the damn necklace, come get it!" Out of nowhere, several bats started flying from the door. The trio ducked and looked up, where the bats real or fake? When they checked the door, they saw a pale faced girl with two daggers in her hands and a wide grin hidden behind her hair, which covered her face like the girl from _The Ring_. "Oh shit!" She lunged towards them and the trio rolled out of the right. "Scatter!"

The girl giggled as the group ran in different directions. The girl giggled and started charging for Sikowitz, who was sipping his coconut milk and not even watching. Trina started to call out for him, but just as the girl closed in on him, she was struck down. In a blink-and-miss moment, Sikowitz didn't even move from the milk, he swung his right arm and slammed his cane into the girl's neck, snapping He moved his eyes towards the shocked trio and smirked subtly. What a great bodyguard he makes. "Now my students…get moving. If this one gets up, I'll deal with her. Or any other horrors that come out of that door."

"You think he's got a handle on it?" Christy asked with a mild twitch. Trina chuckled nervously, she'd already learned never to mess with Sikowitz, he _could_ kick your ass.

"Yeah he's got this." Once they entered the shop, they heard a familiar music box playing. It took Trina a minute to decipher what exactly the music was, but still she wasn't sure. "Son of a bitch, one step in here and I'm already freaked." The others nodded in response, saying nothing.

The place was dark and bleak, the walls were painted black and the floor was nothing but blood red carpet. There were aisles upon aisles of horror goods, and with the Ring girl that just jumped them, they knew that any decoration in this place could come to life and try to kill them. It was best to expect _anything._ "If anyone's got a faint heart," Jason said with a low chuckle. Trina rolled her eyes and smirked as she continued to listen to the music. "I'd run…" Suddenly a loud clatter rang through their ears, when they turned they saw someone that looked like Frankenstein running towards them. "Holy shit!" Jason tore his shotgun from the strap on his back and fired it off at the monster. Frankenstein fell back and moaned. With that, Jason slammed the blunt end of the gun into the monster's head, knocking him unconscious.

"Cheap ass jump scares," Christy muttered. Trina wagged her eyebrows and huffed. She could swear she heard Jade's voice somewhere. She paused and squinted her eyes in thought. The music was the same music that played in that music video audition that Jade made! The people were replaying the video! "Trina, is it possible to be so freaked by something that it makes your ears bleed? Because I'm _sure_ that's what's happening here."

"It's Jade's audition tape. For some reason, they're playing it here." God let Jade not be dead, or worse, let her _not_ be a part of this. Something was wrong, though. The video was different than how this sounded. The music seemed so real and the screaming little girl sounded more mature than the four-year-old girl. In fact, Trina would wager the girl was closer to seventeen. If so, then they _weren't_ playing a video, they were reliving it! "Crap. Jason, Christy, try and find Mortimer and Morgan, I'm going to follow that music and the crying."

"All right, be careful Trina."

"You guys be careful too. A creepy place like this, god knows what'll jump out at you." Jason and Christy agreed and started off to the left while Trina ran towards the right. Her heart started racing as she started running through various aisles and sections in the shop. Various hands were reaching out for her, but no one was chasing her. So much so, she was questioning just how many humans there were in this place. "God, I hate this house of horrors."

Finally she'd reached a black door with a crimson doorknob, the cries were coming from behind there. She recognized the voice now. She narrowed her eyes, let out a terrible yell and kicked the door open. As she stepped in, she saw a woman fully dressed in black with black lipstick and mascara, her hair was completely black and fell neatly over her long black dress. "Get away from Jade, bitch!"

Jade was tied to a chair beside the bathtub, her purple mascara was running down her face. She looked up to Trina with wide eyes as the woman in the tub slowly rose, still playing the music. Trina's eyes widened as this woman seemed to _continue_ rising, she was almost seven feet tall! "S-She's been playing nonstop for the past _day_…I'm hungry…I'm tired…I'm-"

"Silence!" The woman hissed. Jade whimpered and closed her eyes, turning her head away. The woman chuckled sinisterly and stepped from the bathtub. Who was this woman that she had such control over Jade? If she had to guess, this was Morgan. "Let's make a deal, Miss Vega."

"Sorry, I don't deal with psycho freaks." The woman laughed as Trina flexed her body. She was ready to bring this giant woman to her knees. She put her hand over her necklace when the woman's eyes fell upon it. Her eyes narrowed and her fist clenched. "This is what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes, and if you give it to me, I'll release my child over to you." Jade whimpered and Trina's eyebrow arched. _Release her child_, what did that even mean? Trina looked to Jade for answers, but the poor girl had nothing to say. "If you refuse, I will kill her." Her eyes flicked over to Morgan and a scoff left her lips.

"You said _your_ child, she is not your child. Her family is waiting for her safe return, they all want her." Jade gasped and her eyes flooded with hopefulness. "So, _Morgan_, please explain to me what your crazy mind is telling you right now?" Morgan laughed once more and reached down, caressing Jade's chin. Jade flinched and pulled away from her. Poor girl was scared to death of her!

"She _was_ our child. Until the child protective services took her from us!" Trina's jaw dropped and Jade slowly closed her eyes, trembling violently. So that video wasn't just some creepy thing from Jade's imagination? It was something from her actual past? A memory she was reliving? "But now our baby's back with us. She left her adoptive family behind. My dear, dear Jade, Mortimer and I will take care of you."

"I don't _want_ you!" Jade screamed at the top of her lungs. "I want my family!" Jade turned to Trina and released a sob. "When I was four, they would beat me day in and day out…he would get mad and she would…do this…constantly. I'd beg her to stop playing the music, but she wouldn't! She would _never_ stop! Make her stop, please, oh god make her stop…" Jade wept bitterly and hunched over while Morgan continued to let the music box play. "Please…"

"Oh Jade…" Trina shook her head and narrowed her gaze onto that infernal box that Morgan held. She didn't enjoy listening to it either. "I will _gladly _make her stop." She charged forward, anger and hate rising inside of her. This bitch was going down one way or another! Morgan moved her upper body backwards as Trina quickly swiped her leg through the air. She may have missed Morgan, but she hit the box dead on and sent it crashing into a wall, shattering it into a million pieces. Jade gasped and Morgan screeched, throwing her black nails into her hair.

"No! The music is gone! God no! What have you done you little wench!"

"Oh it was just a stupid music box."

"You…you…_Bitch!_" Morgan slashed her nails at Trina. Trina quickly leapt backwards and growled. "I'm going to kill you! That was an expensive music box! Worth more than your life!"

"Oh, really now?" She smirked and sidestepped yet another slash made by this woman. She ducked down and studied Morgan's abdomen, she was so skinny that it wouldn't be hard to snap this crazed woman. Once she crouched low, she thrust her leg forward, hitting Morgan's ankle. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"Ah!" Morgan fell forward and put her hands on the ground, catching herself. Trina grabbed the back of her hair and groaned, the hair was so greasy and oily that it felt like she'd just stuck her hand into a pit of old disgusting jelly. Morgan growled as Trina slammed the woman's head into the floor.

"Do you _ever_ clean your hair?"

"Every day, whore." Morgan grabbed Trina's ankle and started moving her head towards her, attempting to bite. Trina's eyes widened as she studied Morgan's teeth, they were all pointed, like tiny daggers. Did this woman get some sort of reconstruction surgery on her teeth?

"Get away from me!" She swiftly kicked her free foot forward, striking Morgan in the face. Morgan screeched and rolled across the floor. She figured it would be a grand idea to stay _out_ of range of this woman's teeth and claws. "Freak, what did you do with your teeth?"

Morgan slowly pushed herself up and felt her jaw, blood was pouring from her mouth. "Years of surgery and patience." She held her hand out and spit up four teeth that Trina just kicked out. She screamed and staggered backwards. "No!" Trina chuckled and crossed her arms, shaking her head.

"It can't be good for your teeth, I bet you weakened them by doing that." It was the woman's front teeth that had been taken out. She adjusted her position into a firm fighter's stance. Jade watched her with growing fear and anticipation. Trina was standing directly in front of her, guarding her. "Come at me, beanstalk."

"_What_ did you just call me?"

"You heard me." Morgan hissed and charged towards her. Trina took this moment to notice that the woman's eyes also had freakish contact lenses that made her pupils seem long and narrow, like a snake's. "God you are such a freak." The woman reached out and Trina grabbed her wrists. She threw the woman's wrists up, slammed her fist into her abdomen and started to push with that hand while pulling with her other, swinging the woman in an arc through the air. Morgan screamed as she sailed directly into the bathtub. Her mouth hit the edge and five more bloody teeth dropped out. "Thirty two teeth in the human mouth, you just lost nine." Morgan moaned and put her hands to the edge of the tub, shaking with rage.

"I had my wisdom teeth removed…"

"Oh twenty-eight then." Trina smirked and tilted her head, this meant the woman only had nineteen teeth remaining in her mouth. As blood poured from the woman's gums, Trina could see most of her front teeth were now missing. "Ouch. You see, that's why I don't deal in plastic surgery, too gruesome." Jade stared at Morgan with wide eyes, even she was getting grossed out. As Morgan stared down at her hands, her eyes widened tremendously, several of her fingernails had just broken off. Trina winced and shook her head, holding out her hand.

"My nails!"

"Fake nails are _so_ bad in a fight." Morgan screeched and flew from the bathtub. She started swinging her hands. With each forward lunge, Trina backflipped out of the way. "My god woman, close your mouth! You're getting mouth blood everywhere!"

"Shut up!" Trina crouched down, then lunched forward, pounding her fist several times in Morgan's abdomen.

"One thing I hate worse than being covered in sweat, being covered in _blood_." Morgan groaned painfully and staggered backwards. "I'm really getting tired of you and this goddamn shop." Trina rose and spun herself around, lifting her leg and swiftly kicking into Morgan's head. Morgan fell backwards and collided hard against the floor. Thinking fast, Trina leapt for Jade, untied her while Morgan was still recovering from the collision. Jade rose and met her eyes, she was going to listen to Trina, if anything, just this once. "You, stay in this room and go to that far corner." She pointed to the wall and Jade quickly ran over, watching with wide eyes. Trina turned the wooden chair around and kicked the leg, breaking it from the chair. As she held it up in front of her face, she grinned, the break left a nice sharp point.

"Ugh…my head…" Morgan started rising, anger clear in her face. More of her teeth had been knocked from her bloody mouth. The blood already covered her face to the point that it was hard to notice anything. The woman breathed in and froze as her eyes widened. Trina watched her closely as Morgan started to choke, she swallowed one of her own teeth! "I-I…" Trina smirked and narrowed her eyes, running towards her.

"Get back down!" Morgan's eyes widened as Trina's foot collided with her neck. She collided with the wall, her tooth shot from her mouth, and her body sank to the ground. Her hands fell against the ground and her eyes stared without emotion at Jade across the room. Trina huffed and tossed the wooden stick to the side, Morgan was dead. "Looks like that's over, and knowing this place, if you even _think_ about springing to life, I'm going to make sure Christy cuts you into a million fucking pieces! I _hate_ this place!"

"T-T-Trina?" Trina turned to see Jade, shaking like a leaf in the rain. She eyed Trina carefully and took a slow step back. "You just…martial arts?"

"Every day, classes. Did you know Mr. Sikowitz would be a master of kung fu? He even beat _me_ up!" Jade covered her mouth with her hand.

"Sikowitz is…"

"Just outside, he's with us. By that I mean, my best friends Christy and Jason." She snapped her fingers and looked to the doors. "Those two…I hope they're okay. If Morgan's a freak like this, then Mortimer-"

"Is even crazier." Jade fell to her knees and brought her other hand to her mouth, sobbing gently as she eyed the woman. Trina felt her heart sink and moved over, kneeling beside Jade and putting her hand to her shoulder.

"Hey, hey you're okay."

"Why would you save us? Why? We treat you so badly…what are you even doing? Why is this happening?"

"You guys didn't deserve this. This necklace…the gang put a chip inside, Tori didn't know…" Jade sobbed harder and covered her face with her hands. Trina slowly reached over to the wooden stake which used to be the leg and slowly tucked it beneath her. She continued to speak softly. "Don't worry Jade, everything's going to be okay. Do you know if Beck is all right? Beck and Cat…"

"I don't know. The gang sent me here because of my connection to these _monsters_. Trina, I'm sorry…that we treated you so badly. Just please…I really, really want to see my family." She sniffed and started rubbing her eyes with her arm. "Did you mean it when you said…they wanted me back?"

"Of _course_ they do, Jade. I made a promise to them, I intend to keep it, and…" She flexed, narrowing her eyes and turning them over her shoulder. She'd been hearing a shifting noise. "I'm getting _very_ tired of you!" She rose up with a sudden swiftness, swirling around and slamming the stake into Morgan's mouth. Morgan gagged on the stake and Jade's eyes widened tremendously. "I _thought_ I told you not to come back to life!" She punched forward, hitting the stake and pushing it out the back of Morgan's head.

Morgan fell back onto the floor, her arms sprawled out and her knees crossing each other. The woman's eyes rolled to the back of her head as blood dripped from her mouth and along her cheeks. This room had enough blood smeared all over that it was truly going to be a horror scene when the Chiefs walked through it. She sighed deeply and helped the very shaken Jade to her feet.

"Well, I'd better start getting to work on that note."

"Note?"

"I leave one for Chiefs Warren and Michael." The door flew open and Jason ran inside. Trina flinched and looked over, stunned by the look of terror on his face. "Jason?"

"Hurry! We have to get out of here! Mortimer set off a bomb!"

"What?"

"Come on!" Jason grabbed her wrist and Trina took Jade's. The three of them started running towards the doors, thinking of nothing but escape. Trina looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened in shock as she saw a tall man with two tuffs of grey hair rising from his head like devil horns. His teeth were hanging from his mouth like vampire teeth and he wore a cloak much like Dracula. He had hole in his chest and a bloody line across his neck, but his eyes were _still_ moving! _Mortimer_. Beneath his cloak, strapped to his chest, was the bomb. Enough to take out the entire building.

"Keep running, Jason!" As they approached the door, the bomb around Mortimer's body started cracking. Jade screamed in terror as the three of them bolted out of the building. Christy and Sikowitz were standing at the van, motioning for them to hurry up. The three jumped forward as the blast shot from the windows and doors. Trina fell towards the ground and somersaulted forward, Jason landed on his feet, crouching forward, his hand on the ground, and Jade fell into the arms of Christy and Mr. Sikowitz.

As Trina rose, she turned towards the smoldering building and cussed under her breath. The building was actually a crater, with just the left side left. Smoke rose into the sky. How the hell did they just narrowly survive that? "P-Pen and paper, Mr. S-Sikowitz?"

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><p>*whistles* Well, what did you think? Epic fight? Free brownie points to anyone that caught the "mouth blood" reference XD.<p>

Oh, and again I'd like to ask as I did in the beginning author note, besides Karate Queen, does anyone else know _Cold Case_? I'd like to consider Detective Scotty Valens as Trina's mentor in the upcoming sequel. He's my favorite character, by far, and I don't want to use him if no one knows either the show or Valens


	20. Tearful Reunion

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 19 (Tearful Reunion)<p>

After stepping from the bathroom of the motel they were at, Trina was delighted to see Jade indulging in the meal they acquired from Wendy's. She was scarfing down a triple burger, happily munching on those delicious sea salt fries, and washing it all down with a cool chocolate frosty. She remained at the brown table while Jason and Christy watched from their individual beds. Jade was eating so fast that it was astonishing! Sikowitz was sitting in the chair next to her while Dr. Richards stared silently out of the window. "Jade? When was the last time you ate?" Jason asked curiously.

Trina laughed and sat next to him. Jade didn't even look from her food as she quickly set the burger down, took several fries and shoved them into her mouth, then spooned out some of the frosty. Once that was down, she took a deep breath. "I haven't eaten since I left home." So it was at least four to five days since she'd had _anything_ in her stomach. "God, I am forever in love with Wendy's!" Trina and Jason chuckled while Sikowitz jerked his thumb towards the starved girl.

"Well, at least she's got each of the major food components that she needs."

"She needs to eat _slower_," Dr. Richards said urgently. He looked towards Jade and shook his head. "She hasn't eaten in days, that much food and eating that fast, it will make her sick." Jade looked up from the food and frowned. She did _not_ want to give it up. "Slow down Jade." He moved from the window and walked towards Trina. "I didn't find any physical wounds, but she's definitely got some deep emotional wounds. Poor girl doesn't need anymore trauma in her life." Trina slowly nodded her head and sighed as she rested her head on Jason's shoulder. Sikowitz raised his eyebrow and Christy stared at the two, pointing at them. Her hand had also subconsciously found it's way to Jason's.

"Uh, you two…hook up or something?" Whoops, she'd been hoping to tell them _after_ all this crap was over. Well, either way it was necessary to tell them. "Is this going to be an issue for you? I mean, do you want to deal with the emotion?" Trina lifted her head and smiled slightly.

"We're actually not going to start dating until after all this is over, but yes, we've 'hooked up'." Christy lowered her hand and smiled at her friend, she'd already known that the two had feelings for each other. It wasn't like it was obvious, Trina and Jason both had feelings for each other for at least a year now, and _both_ divulged this information to her at some point of time. "And no, it won't be a problem."

"All right. Well I'm happy for you two. Maybe now you two can stop coming to _me_ and constantly telling me how you feel about the other." The two laughed lightly and Jade looked over with eyebrows lifted.

"Hey guys? When can I see my family?"

"Soon Jade, very soon." Trina moved from the bed and walked over to Jade. She took a fry and popped it into her mouth. "I've already sent them a message that you're safe. We've set up a meeting point close to that beach, but not close enough that any of the gang members will find you."

"You think they're going to be upset with us?" Sikowitz asked with a slight huffing tone. "A major outlet of theirs just exploded, a _whole sector_."

"And _that_ one was on Mortimer. Not us." Jason chuckled and shrugged his shoulders a couple times. He'd actually been struck several times in the upper back and arms, Dr. Richards had a field day patching _him_ up. Christy didn't take too many wounds, but seriously, who would be stupid enough to charge at someone with a dangerous piece of sharp metal? "Hey Jade. You may want to know, Robbie and Andre are safe." Jade smiled and quickly nodded her head. "As for Beck, I promise you, we will find him." Jade slowly stared at her sandwich, she swallowed hard and closed her eyes.

"Nothing's ever going to be the same again, is it?" She asked. Tears dripped from her eyes, crystal-clear tears, not hit with mascara. She actually had no makeup, which made her appear completely different. Beneath that pale exterior was a girl with beautiful olive skin, jade green eyes, and healthy pink lips. Since there was no makeup with the group, she wasn't actually able to put any on after her shower.

"No Jade…I'm sorry…but a lot has happened. Even the fact that Robbie lost his puppet isn't something to be happy about." Jade let out a scoffing chuckle and turned her head to the side. No, there wasn't any happiness to be had about that.

"That stupid puppet. You know it was Robbie all along, he just wanted some attention." Her eyes were half-lidded and her face grew soft. "Beck's my boyfriend, Cat's my best friend…"

"You won't lose them. But more importantly…" Jade lifted her head and moved her sad eyes to Trina's. "We need to get you to your family." Jason and Christy moved from their bed and Sikowitz cleared his throat, they were ready to get moving. "Do you want to finish your food?"

"No…" She started pushing the food into the Wendy's bag for later, her appetite seemed gone from her. She sniffed and closed the bag, clutching it tightly. "You didn't tell me about Andre…how is he?" Trina's heart sank and she slowly turned her head to the side.

"He's been paralyzed from the waist down." Jade gasped and covered her mouth. She couldn't believe it! "We're going to make those gang members pay for what they've done." Jade nodded and rose from her seat, her legs quivered and her head bowed.

"I hate them…those people…I hate them…D-Do you know when I can talk to Robbie or Andre?"

"After all this is over, after you're all safe. For now, let's all get out of here. I'm sure your family's anxious enough, as are you."

"Trina, is it true…that Lane is…part of this?" She took a deep breath and folded her arms over.

"I hate to say it, but yes."

"Will you show him any mercy?"

"Jade. I've not shown anyone any mercy up till now…you _really_ think I'm going to start by showing him any just because he masquerades as the school's guidance counselor?" Jade bowed her head and chuckled dryly.

"Of course not. Thank you for getting me out of there…I mean that. Thank you." Jade smiled and gave Jade a gentle hug.

"Come on, let's get you to your family. Your brother has a surprise for you."

Their drive had been a drive of complete silence. Christy had taken the moment to sit up front with Sikowitz so that Trina and Jason had to sit in the middle seats. The doctor and Jade sat in the back. Jade seemed to be watching outside with a small smile, absorbing every bit of her freedom as she could. Their meet point with the West family was a secure place near a police facility. Gang members right now were avoiding the police as much as possible, so this street was the safest place.

Jade smiled brightly when she saw her father standing with her mom and step mom. Her grandmother put her hands to her mouth, weeping tears of joy as she saw them driving up. The woman's husband put his arm around her. Jade's little brother Lance, started jumping ecstatically. Denise broke from Henry and Monica, moving quickly towards the parking vehicle.

Once parked, Jade was the first to leave. "Momma…" The second she stepped onto the ground, Denise took her in her arms, sobbing and kissing her forehead. Monica and Henry hurried over, the grandparents merely a foot behind them. They wrapped their arms around Jade, holding her close.

"We're never letting you go again," Monica said with tears in her eyes. "I hope you know that baby, we're family, we don't want to lose you."

"I know!" Jade sobbed and curled her hands in Denise's shirt. God she missed them, she loved them all. "I won't leave again. I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." She choked her words out as she buried her face into the familiar clothing. She absorbed her family's smell, acknowledging their presence. Her body trembled with every tear that fell from her face.

Trina was the only one to step out of the car. She leaned against it and smiled at the family. Lance walked up to her and tugged on her shirt. She turned her eyes to him. "Thank you miss for saving her, I was _really scared_." She heard Jade gasp softly and looked over as the girl turned from her family members. She pointed and Lance looked over with a tearful grin. "Jade!" He ran towards her and hugged her waist. "I'm _sorry_, I didn't want you to leave! I didn't mean to make you run away!"

"It's okay Lance. It's okay…" She hugged him tight as he buried his face into her clothes. "I won't leave again, not like that. I promise. I promise." Trina spotted the green backpack on Lance's back and walked over, crouching beside him. She put her hand to his shoulder and he glanced up at her.

"Don't you have something for your big sister?" He gasped happily and quickly tore his backpack from his shoulder. Jade watched with a small smile as he reached into the backpack.

"Made this…for you…" As he pulled the brilliant jade colored swan from the backpack, Jade through her hands to her mouth in a gasp. Fresh tears ran from her eyes as Lance turned around and held it up to her. "I know how much you love swans, because they're so beautiful. I think you're like a beautiful swan, and it's jade because that's your name."

"Oh god…" Jade closed her eyes and sobbed. Lance frowned in confusion and tilted his head.

"You don't like it?"

"N-No I-I love it, Lance." She lowered her hands and smiled at him. She hugged him close and took the swan, holding it close and safely to her chest. "I love you so much, Lance. God I missed you."

"Trina, we should get going," Christy said from the car. "We don't want to draw too much attention." Trina glanced back, a tear in her eye. She nodded and glanced back at the family, Henry was watching her from behind his daughter. He had a gleam in his eyes and a smile on his face. If Jade said she never saw him smile, well, he was smiling now. No matter what, every father's pride and joy was their daughter.

"What can we ever do to repay you?" Henry asked, taking a step towards her. "Anything at all for saving our daughter." She lifted her hand and shook her head.

"Don't. You have her back, that's all that matters to me, that you can be happy again." It was the same thing she told the Shapiro family and the Harris family, she really didn't need _anything_ in return. She didn't need money, she had plenty of that, she didn't need anyone's good graces, she was just pushing all that unnecessary greed away from her. "Just take care of her, she needs you now more than she's ever needed you. Don't ever neglect her, don't let her out of your sight, because she will always need you…just as my baby sister needed me…" Trina closed her hands and started to move into the car, she didn't want to stay here anymore. "I have business to attend to."

Once she entered the car, she stared out at the family as they huddled around Jade. At least now the girl could be happy. The others looked at her, Jason took her hand and Christy exhaled. "Are you going to be okay?" Christy asked quietly. Trina hung her elbow out the window and gazed wistfully at the family while Sikowitz started to drive.

"I'll be fine. Once I take the rest of these leaders out, I'll be just fine."

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><p>Such a tender chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter takes place at the Beach, where you'll see the one Captain, so far, that may actually have a moral bone in their body XD.<p> 


	21. Worthy Rival

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 20 (Worthy Rival)<p>

"Ah the beach." Jason grinned as they stepped out onto the warm sand. Trina raised a curious eyebrow as the wind ran through her hair. "The warm sand, sound of the ocean waves, the brisk breeze…so beautiful." She eyed the beach and ran her hand through her hair. She was pretty sure this 'beautiful' beach was about to become a bloodbath. It just wasn't the time she could enjoy this beach. Besides, she had some pretty bad memories here. She was not at her best.

"Let's look for the lifeguard hut." She started walking, ignoring the sounds of the people on the beach. The others followed close behind, even Dr. Richards was with them. Of course, the good doc wouldn't be doing any fighting. "I was not at my best here." That memory of being trapped in the RV was so vivid, so pressing, so horrible. She remembered seeing Tori staring at her once, her eyes clearly asking for her to come up with _something_. She had nothing. "Of course, Cat's out here having the time of her life." While walking, she eyed a passerby. It was a scrawny teenager wearing a baggy white shirt. She smirked as the teenager eyed her lustfully.

"Hey chica-" He stopped when Jason glared at him. Huskily, Trina grabbed the person's shirt and pulled him close, still staring past him. He let out a loud yelp and she demanded he tell her where the lifeguard hut was. "Okay, okay!" He pointed at a building not far from them, it sat on some wooden foundation that had wood pillars going into the sand. Beneath the foundation, a clear tube was easily seen. She rolled her eyes and sighed, just like beach bimbos to make their base so easy to find. "Over there crazy lady, just-"

"Thanks." She pushed him to the side and he stumbled backwards into the sand. Jason smirked and took a tough guy step towards him, which literally scared the piss out of the boy. Christy laughed and Sikowitz shook his head. The group made their way to the building and carefully made their way inside. There were four male lifeguards huddled around a giggling fit of a blonde, busty girl. Lilith. Trina cleared her throat and the four separated from her, stepping behind her. Lilith was sitting in a chair, she had on an extremely skimpy blue bikini top and a bottom that looked like a damn _thong!_ She thought she could see the rings of Lilith's nipples!

"Hello?" Lilith asked with a smile. She had oil and whipped cream all over her busty chest, the boys must have been eating off her body. Trina closed her eyes and sighed.

"Avert your eyes Jason," she whispered. Jason chuckled slightly and Trina took a step forward, crossing her arms. She wished she could take Christy's sword and pop this girl's plastic breasts. They sure looked fake as hell. "I'm here to inquire about becoming a lifeguard."

"Oh, well we're not accepting any new lifeguards right now." Trina smirked subtly as one of the male lifeguards started massaging Lilith's shoulders.

"Well, can I talk to your boss then?"

"Oh Raven's in her office, but she's not accepting visitors at the moment. She's dealing with someone at the minute." Hopefully Raven was a better person morally than Lilith. "Anyway, no female lifeguards…" Trina raised an eyebrow as Lilith slowly stood up and started walking towards Jason. The girl smirked and Jason lifted his eyebrows, taking a step back. Lilith started to run her finger down his chest. "We might consider you, though, big guy…"

"I'm uh…" Jason cleared his throat and looked to Trina for help. "I'm kind of taken right now." Trina folded her arms over and Lilith giggled lightly. If this girl dared to rub or touch Jason any more, she was going to blow.

"It's okay, I'm sure whoever you're into won't mind." Trina twitched and clenched her fists. She cleared her throat once more and put her hand to Lilith's shoulder.

"Oh yeah, he's taken." Lilith looked at her with wide, shocked eyes, she put her hand to her lips and frowned.

"Oh my, well we could fight for him." Jason narrowed his eyes and Christy smacked her forehead. Even she was getting antsy and eager to kill this girl. Sikowitz seemed annoyed with what he was seeing. Lilith lifted her hands and snapped her fingers. "Oh boys, if you would so kindly take care of the others…" Sikowitz and Christy backed up while Dr. Richards rolled his eyes. The four men were advancing, their faces turning dark while Lilith's smirk grew vile. "Of course I recognize you, Trina Vega." Shit, she should have known this blonde bitch was smarter than she looked!

Jason rolled his eyes and turned his gaze upon two transparent doors. An elevator? He smirked subtly and glanced over as Lilith tried to strike Trina with a martial arts move. Trina let out a grunt and grabbed the woman's leg. As the four men surrounded Sikowitz and Christy, they were already prepared. They had this. "Jason! Go!"

"On it." He ran for the elevator doors and struck the button. Once open, he rushed in. He heard Lilith call out and smirked as the doors shut. Trina and the others would make quick work of these dumbasses. He was _not_ one to be turned on by lustful things. Besides he knew what turned him on, and he already had her, no need for anything more.

As the elevator descended, he watched the fish swimming by. The water outside was crystal-clear, the fish seemed to shimmer as they swam by in the blue water. He felt a sense of peace and rest, so sad that this was a place of death. He had to wonder if this tube was plastic or glass, but either way, it was beautifully crafted! Trina appreciated nature as much as he did, so it was likely she'd enjoy this too. Ah if only she wasn't above ground, taking out the blonde bimbo.

The doors opened, not far below the surface of the water. Just a bit of a swim. When he stepped out, there was nothing but a very long tunnel and a set of crystal doors at the end. There were a couple people hanging around, men and women, but no more than he could fight through. He flexed his muscles and smirked. "Oh yeah, I got this."

Within minutes, he'd reached the doors. About ten people were sprawled out along the tunnel. He was breathing hard, but not overly exhausted. "That's my Uncle's training for you." He turned to the doors, took a deep breath and pushed them open. There she was, the dark haired Raven, sitting at a desk far across the room. In the very middle of the room was a round circle with a couple sharks contained in a glassy cell. As his eyes trailed up to the ceiling, he saw Beck, hanging only by a rope tied around his body. The rope an along a system of pulleys, controlled by a switch that was slowly turning, perhaps due to Beck's weight.

Jason cursed under his breath as Raven stood from her desk and started moving towards him. "The thing about this place, we can see through the doors." He narrowed his eyes as Raven let out a slow growl. "You're not getting the hostage." Beck was clearly unconscious, which was good, if he were struggling he would probably start lowering faster. Thank god the dome was huge, there had to be at least twenty feet between Beck and the sharks below him. "So, how'd you get past Lilith?"

"Well for one, there are women, _straight_ women. One of which, is my very pissed off girlfriend." Raven sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head with shame.

"You'll have to pardon my sister. She is a bit…odd." She lowered her arms and narrowed her gaze onto him. "Tell you what. You beat me, you can _have_ the hostage. You lose…hostage dies." He chuckled slightly and watched her lip curl into a smirk.

"I'll take that."

"You're not saying that because I'm a girl, are you?"

"Hell no, I know women are strong." Trina could kick his ass in a heartbeat, so could Christy. "I just have enough confidence in myself to believe that I could actually beat you."

"We'll see." In a flash, she was next to him and swinging her hand in a knife-hand strike towards his neck. His eyes widened and he quickly threw his arm up, blocking her wrist. As he did so, she swung her other hand towards him. He ducked down and soon found his face colliding with her knee. He staggered backwards and shook his head, watching as Raven lifted her hands and started falling forward.

_"Oh shit."_ She pressed her hands on the ground, still in a straight form. She pushed off and spun in the air, falling forward and kicking into his chest. He let out a loud yell and started sliding against the floor. "What the hell?"

"My moves are like fluid. You can't beat the ocean, _can you_?" She started skating across the floor, her right leg in front of her and her body lowered. He sidestepped her and quickly kicked back, but missed her. She rose up and turned her gaze to him, grinning darkly. "You can't beat me. You can never beat me."

"And I thought _I_ was the one getting cocky here!" He turned a quick foot and dashed at her, throwing his fist forward. He let loose a flurry of punches, to which she started deflecting while backing up. "Stay still damn it!"

"The water is _never_ still." He felt a sudden jab in his stomach and groaned as he stared down to see her fist digging deep into his gut. Thinking fast, he grabbed her wrist and swung her overhead. That was how to get her! Let her connect. She was fast, but after connection, she was slow to flee!

He released her and she performed a midair backflip. She landed gracefully on the ground and chuckled as he turned to face her. "What is so funny?"

"It's been some time since I've enjoyed a good fight. I'm glad that you're my opponent." She quickly spun around, lifting her leg towards his head. He quickly ducked down and looked up. The instant she set her foot down, she'd spun again, sweeping her second leg through the air. Her foot collided with his shoulder, sending him stumbling to the side. He growled and took a step back, watching as she started backflipping towards him.

"Crap…" She stopped in front of him and let out a dangerous shout, spinning towards him. He let her strike the side of his head with her hand. She pulled her hand back and breathed in, giving him enough time to thrust his fist into her stomach. Her eyes widened and she leapt backwards, putting her hand to her stomach.

"Well, you actually got me. Impressive."

"My uncle taught me to take blows."

"I see." She narrowed her eyes and growled. "You may be a bit tougher than I thought. Seriously though, your uncle taught you to take blows? What did he do? Whack you with a stick?"

Jason chuckled, remembering all the years he'd been hit by that godforsaken walking stick of Sikowitz. He smirked and huffed. "Something like that. I also wanted to send you the message to not get cocky against me because you're a girl and I'm a guy."

"What the hell are you talking about?" She straightened herself and raised an eyebrow. "I assume only the best of respect when dealing with a fellow martial arts fighter. I won't fight dirty."

"Good, I just wanted you to know that I'm not afraid to fight a girl if I have to."

"I'm not one of those women who is deathly concerned. I'll deal."

"Great." He heard the crank move and saw Beck lower a bit. He sighed and closed his eyes, there really wasn't time to talk. "Let's do this."

They charged each other, leaping off their left legs and kicking forward with their right. Their legs collided with each other, causing them to fall towards the ground. Jason put his palms on the ground and looked back, Raven had done the same. He clenched his jaw and pushed up simultaneously, then spun around, swirling his fist through the air and colliding it with hers. Raven smirked and tilted her head. "Not bad."

"You're not too bad yourself."

"Thanks." He clenched his fists in front of his face and narrowed his eyes, Raven did the same. They locked their eyes together and started to move in a circular motion. Jason moved his eyes to her heels and thought about whether or not she would have weak ankles. He bit his tongue and kicked out towards her feet. She jumped up and kicked her right leg forward, smacking it into his jaw. He let out a painful yell and fell backwards just as the dust from her landing flew past him. "Not a bad try, better luck next time."

"Damn…" He rubbed his jaw and narrowed his eyes. "You know I can't help but wonder. You seem pretty smart and strong, what's someone like Lilith doing as your Lieutenant? She doesn't seem smart or strong." Raven chuckled and spun around, swinging her leg through the air at crushing speeds. Jason yelped and blocked with a strong arm, pushing the leg back with his forearm. He countered with a swift kick into her back. She fell forward, then somersaulted on the ground, finishing off with a push to her feet.

"That's the trick." She turned her gaze over her shoulder and smirked back at him. "She's really a powerful martial arts fighter, just as I am. She's also a clever wit, straight-A student and whatnot. It's all cloak and dagger, really."

"What? Her style?"

"Yes. You see…When someone sees a well endowed beach blonde, they think 'valley girl' or 'ditz', so if she gives them what they expect, they're forced to underestimate her. Once underestimated, she can either strike later, or play dead, whatever her choice." Clever was indeed a good way to put it, but now that she mentioned it, he hoped Trina and the others could fend off Lilith.

"Damn, and to think I left Trina up there with her."

"It's noble, you trust your girl to take care of herself. Just as my boyfriend trusts me to be able to handle things without any problem." Jason nodded and cleared his throat.

"I'm waiting for you to make the first move."

"Smart man." She swept her hair back over her shoulder and stretched her palms out above her head. He raised an eyebrow and watched as she started to fall forward. His eyes widened as she landed on her hands, pushed off, sailed through the air, then kicked her legs forward.

"Not this time!" He ducked to the side and swept his elbow backwards just as she landed beside him. She lurched forward once his elbow slammed into the middle of her back. She growled and bent forward, then swiftly shot her leg out behind her, slamming it into his back. He stumbled forward as the searing pain shot throughout his body. When he opened his eyes, he let out a loud yell, he was directly on the edge of the shark pit! "Whoa!" He turned his gaze over and saw Raven charging for him.

"You were a worthy opponent. Your time ends here." She leapt up and kicked forward. Reflexively, he dodged to the side, forgetting inertia. The next thing he heard was a shrill scream, Raven had fallen into the shark pit.

"No!" He turned to see her hanging onto the edge, crying out in pain as the sharks started swimming towards her. "Raven!" He quickly rushed towards her, hoping to help her out before the sharks did any damage to her. She clenched her teeth and lifted her hand.

"Stop. You've beaten me…it was an honor…don't deny me death."

"What?" It sounded like something from his Uncle's crazy kung fu rules. If an opponent falls in battle, it is considered an honor to let them die a warrior's death. To deny them that death brings shame and disgrace upon that warrior. "You can't be serious? You don't believe in the-"

"A warrior's death, I know, but you were an equally skilled fighter. Best I lose to you than to anyone else." She tilted her head back and screamed. Jason's eyes widened as he saw the blue water begin turning red. His eyes started to water and he gripped the edges of the pool.

"It's not supposed to be like this, it isn't right. You weren't _supposed_ to die! At least prison." Raven's body was trembling and her breath was shaky, she let out a slight scoff and clenched her eyes shut.

"My boyfriend would never let me stay in prison. God I loved that man. At least I'll die with him in mind…"

"I won't let you die, we have a doctor with us."

"You would deny me a warrior's death?" He froze, his eyes glued with her sharp, but fading gaze. His heart was pounding heavily in his chest and his shirt was soaked with sweat. His fist shook before him and his eyes closed tight. He had to put out her whimpers, her grunts of pain. "It's good that you have a heart, that you would save your enemies."

"That's what my uncle taught me…'nobler to save than to kill'."

"Exactly. Your uncle's taught you well…" She smiled weakly and lifted her hand up to his, closing her fingers around his fist. He opened his eyes and met hers. "Keep learning. My boyfriend and I, we are not for Bethany's wild plans, we do not use the drugs that the gang collects…so we know a thing or two about martial arts. I can tell you're strong, the way you should be, and you have the heart that a warrior should have, but…you were stronger than I was…you cannot save me, you understand that?"

"I…I am sorry…"

"No." He frowned as she closed her eyes and slowly pushed away from him. She spread her arms back and started to float. The water was now completely red as her eyes bore at the ceiling. "I lost, we had a deal. Save your friend, and…thank you. For not denying me my death…"

He slowly stood up, the air was silent and calm. He closed his eyes and put his palms together, to pay his respects and pray for her soul. A sign of respect for a fallen opponent. "Raven, may your soul rest in peace. You were indeed a worthy rival, of equal power."

The doors opened and he glanced over his shoulder, Trina was rushing in with Christ and Sikowitz. He lowered his hands and sighed. Raven had told him during the battle where to close the shark pit. He moved to the desk and found the red button hidden under a small hollow block. He pressed the button and closed down the red blood pit. "Raven and I made a deal, if I won the battle, we get the hostage." He pointed to the lever and Trina's eyes flew up at Beck. She gasped as Christy ran to the lever, cranking it until Beck started lowering.

Trina didn't know what happened, but she was thankful that Jason was okay. When Beck was finally lowered to the ground, Christy cut through the ropes that bound him. Trina was disheartened to see a patch over his eye, the same eye that had a bandage over it in that image. Beck's uncovered eye opened and his lips fell. "Trina? W-Where am I? Where is everyone?"

"You're safe Beck," she replied. She chuckled lightly as everyone helped him to stand. "Go figure, captured by a bunch of women." Jason walked over to her and saw Dr. Richards making his way inside. Trina glanced back and pointed to the doctor. "The Doc's going to check you out, then we'll take you to your family. All right?"

"My family? Are they safe?"

"Yes. Your mom and dad are very worried about you." He smiled and closed his eye. After a minute, it shot open and his expression became panicked. He didn't even have to say what was on his mind, she was certain who else he'd worry about. "Jade's safe, Andre's…safe, and Robbie is safe."

"Jade, safe, god that's good. I can't wait to see her again." He lifted a shaky hand to his eye patch and whimpered once. "They cut me, Trina. They cut me." Dr. Richards made his way over and lifted the eye patch. Trina groaned and Dr. Richards slowly turned away. The eye was pale, dead, and aside from the bruises on Beck's head, he had one long scar across his face where that eye was.

"I'll have to inspect him a little more, but I'm pretty certain he won't get any sight back from that eye." Beck started to fall to his knees, but Trina and Jason caught him.

"O-Oh god…I don't _want_ to lose my sight!" He whimpered and started to weep tears of bitterness. "I want to _see_ the world. They cut my good eye!"

"Just be glad you're alive. We need to find Cat, but for all I know, she may be with Lane. Come on Beck…enough of this." The group led him out of the underwater base. Once they reached the top, Jason was awestruck by the devastation. The four lifeguards were scattered around the hut, blood surrounded them, and then there was Lilith. Her body was hanging halfway out the window, she was unconscious and only visible with her legs on the inside. Jason _thought_ he saw Lilith move, but wasn't certain. Then he remembered what Raven had said about her, she could easily fool the opponent into thinking she was down for the count, a clever girl indeed. Hopefully, they would never have to hear from her again.

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><p>I actually felt bad for Raven, I wonder who her boyfriend is, and how pissed he's going to be when he finds out she's been killed? Hmm, guess we won't know that yet. Lilith isn't dead, and she may have just moved. I wonder, will the police catch her? Or, is it as Raven said, is she like a ninja? Is there a reason I'm pointing these things out? Is there? No, nonsense! I'm just being random!<p>

So Beck's safe, though he's lost all vision in one of his eyes due to the fight at the Vega household. This is where we say, Go Trina, Go! Kick their asses!


	22. Captain Sinks With His Ship

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N: There's not much left of PRICE, so I think I'm going to just update it on a daily basis. Okay, this is IMPORTANT-I have a poll pertaining to the upcoming sequel on my profile, go vote if you can ^_^. Now enjoy this BIG chapter.

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><p>Chapter 21 (Captain Sinks His Ship)<p>

Michael and Warren sped down the country road, they were responding to a 911 call that was related to this gang war. A man calling himself _Giovanni_ was requesting them by name. It was suspicious, and they were prepared for a possible shootout. Several squad cars were behind them, as the man did not specify whether or not he wanted them to bring backup. All they knew was _this_ was the name of the leader that Trina said she saw on the database. "Hopefully he's got something for us and isn't planning an ambush…"

"That might be too much to hope for," Warren said with a quiet tone. Michael stared ahead and frowned, he saw several black cars in the distance. Warren groaned and shook his head. "I'm getting too old for this, I'm telling you." Michael's eyes widened on the sight he spotted next to the cars, rather than the cars themselves. A man in a black suit, holding a black cane, bald and with a white beard, was holding a gun to the back of a man whose hands were tied behind his back.

"Shit! Warren, look at the ditch!" Warren looked over and spit his coffee out. It was _David! _Their hearts filled with dread and Michael quickly grabbed his radio, he needed to give out orders. Before he could speak, Warren nudged him sharply with his elbow. As he looked up, the world seemed to slam to a stop. His heart exploded and rage burned through his veins. He witnessed, in almost slow motion, blood splashing from the back of David's head. Warren screamed as David's body fell forward into the small creek, his face splashing into the water. The man met their eyes with a smirk.

Michael's body tensed as he slammed the breaks. The police behind them halted their breaks as well and he shouted through the radio at them. "That is _it! _Open fire men! Fucking kill them all! I don't want a single gang member left standing in those cars! Open fire now! Go! Go! Go!" Lethal fire eventually began flying around their car from both sides. Warren and Michael opened their doors, pulling shotguns from their car. Warren opened fire against the squad of black cars while Michael glared at the man, slowly walking from David's body. He bit down on his tears and narrowed his eyes. "I think not…"

He turned to steady his aim upon the old man, closing one eye and aiming carefully. The smell of smoke taunted his nostrils as the sound of bullets whizzing past his head attempted to distract him. He slowly licked his upper lips and squeezed the trigger. The man turned his eyes towards him and stared in shock as a bullet dug deep into his thigh. The man fell, sprawled on the ground, his cane rolled into the muddy creek.

He made a daring move to run towards David's fallen body and pull him from the creek. Warren followed soon after. When they looked up, they could see that the police and the gang members were ignoring them. David let out a moan, not fully dead, but fading fast. "David! David stay with us!" David lifted his hand, his cheeks were stained with tears.

"M-Michael, Warren, I will miss our card nights at the bar…"

"Don't say that!" Warren exclaimed. David groaned and clenched his eyes shut. How he was coherent enough to talk, they didn't know. It was nothing short of a miracle, though. They knew it was hopeless though, paramedics couldn't even make it over in time. "David, Trina's doing everything she can to _save_ you! She's been taking down these bad guys, saving her friends! Come on! You _can't_ die on us, you can't die on _her!_"

"W-What will happen to her? Please…let her live her life…" Michael clenched his eyes shut, tears were streaming from his eyes. Of course they would let Trina live her life, they weren't about to arrest her for everything she was doing! David rolled his eyes to the back of his head, his body shivered and the wind slowly blew his hair back. "Holly, Trina, Tori…I love you…My friends…take good care of…" The wind blew past them once again and David's body fell limp.

"David? David! Come on buddy, hang in there. Come on!" Michael shouted and bowed his head, shaking terribly. He and Warren laid David's body down on the grass and slowly looked to one another. "W-We didn't reach him in time, Warren. I can't believe…we failed him…" This was too much, _too much_. If they had made Trina allow the police to handle this, then they might have been dealing with _more_ deaths, not only David's.

"Mike, what the hell are we going to do?" Warren was shaken, too shaken. They did _not_ want to be the ones to tell Trina that her father had just been killed. They knew the level of devastation that would cause, on both sides. "Trina is going to..." He bowed his head and started to weep as his eyes fell upon his old friend. "This is too much…"

"I know…" Michael brought his fingers to his eyes as his stomach continued flipping. He felt the overpowering urge to vomit and fought it with everything he could. No amount of years on the force, no amount of bodies could prepare him for _this_. "I know one thing we're going to do…we're going to take out_ every last one of them!_" He rose to his feet and narrowed his eyes upon the fallen gunman and growled, this old man had just become the new object of his hate and rage. Warren looked up to him, his hands gripped David's shirt mournfully. "Trina _will_ be free to live her life, her name clear of any vigilante charges. She has one living grandmother, right?"

"Y-Yes, Ms. Keller. I believe she lives in a downtown townhome."

"Good, because she will probably wind up having to move there…" Michael clenched his fists and started walking towards the man on the ground. His leg had a giant hole in it. Rage coursed his veins as he reached down and grabbed the old man by the edges of his jacket and pulled him up into the air. "Who the fuck do you think you are!" The man looked into his eyes with a wide smile.

"Giovanni Lucas, at your service." Michael froze, anger and fear striking him in his moment of hesitation. He was holding the leader of this gang in his hands! "I've decided that since you've waged war against us, and we've been losing numerous casualties, that perhaps you deserved a casualty on your side."

"Fuck you!" Michael shoved the man to the ground. With his yell came the explosion of multiple enemy vehicles. Finally, one of the squad cars had a rocket launcher! His face grew dark as a mushroom cloud started floating into the air. "What gives you the right to kill this man? What is your _purpose_? You're the damn _leader_ of this gang, you shouldn't even be this stupid! I hope whatever is on that chip is important enough for you! I hope it's worth all the bullshit!"

Giovanni started laughing, he put his hand to his stomach and grinned deviously. "I love this. Yes I put myself down as the leader of this group, and no I'm not afraid to kill the second Deputy Chief of Police. That chip? Yeah that chip has enough power to tear the entire gang apart! It was stupid for the person at the store to put the damn necklace under display, but trust me, the owner has paid for his mistake." Michael's eyes widened and he knelt down, grabbing the man's jacket.

"What the hell did you do, old man?"

"Same thing every gang does, killed the loose end. The chip has a history of all transactions, millions of dollars, every drug trade route possible. Is it important? Highly. Is it the object that the gang desires? Yes, but you see, it's a shallow plan."

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes. "What are you going on about?"

"There's a _reason_ for everything, there's always something deeper…things are not _always_ what they seem, Chief Michael." Michael threw the man to the ground and rose up, looking off at the battlefield. The gunfire was over, all the gang members were either wounded or dead. Giovanni laughed and shook his head. "Now now, there's not many of us left, I'm afraid. If it were important enough to retrieve that chip, we would simply have waited around to kill Trina Vega." Michael narrowed his eyes and stared down at the man. Warren moved over and frowned.

"What's going on?"

"Nonsensical ramblings of an old leader of a dying gang…" Giovanni laughed at the jab and slowly pulled his pistol from his pocket.

"Chief Michael, Chief Warren, again I say…things are not always what they seem. There's a reason that we asked Trina specifically to hand us the necklace, there's a reason that damned necklace and the chip inside isn't as important as it seems, there is a reason I have called you here with the majority of our gang members remaining, just to witness the death of your old friend, and there is a reason…that I do this…" The two men watched with wide eyes, stepping back as Giovanni whipped out his gun and narrowed his eyes. "Remember to mention my true position in the grand scheme of things. You know, criminal masterminds and all that…hear out my favorite quote: Behind every great man, is an even greater woman."

"What?" Before they could react, Giovanni pushed his gun into his mouth and pulled the trigger. Michael and Warren reached down, but the blast knocked them to the ground. They looked, shaken, upon Giovanni's body. His head had been blasted off and blood was spilling down towards the creek. What the hell was the point of this?

"Mike…could he have meant the gang didn't just want the chip?" Michael raised an eyebrow and slowly looked over to Warren. Warren's eyes quivered as paramedics started running towards them from behind. "What if they wanted the last Vega family member? What if _that_ was their cause?"

"I don't know…We still have Dr. Richard's number, right?" Warren nodded. The two men looked to David's body, once more the sickness returned to them "Dr. Richards can…tell Trina…if you're right, could Trina be walking into a trap?"

"What would we do about that?"

"I'm pretty sure if we told her about David now, which we have no choice, she's not going to care if she walks into a trap or not." Whatever there was left to walk into, he wasn't sure. Wasn't Giovanni the leader? Was this Seth, superintendant of schools, the last person left? "Somehow we have to warn her. Dr. Richards may be the only way to _finally_ get through to her."

They were helped up by the paramedics, who were checking them over for any wounds. The devastation on the road was tremendous. Bodies were scattered everywhere, blood soaked the grass and painted the road. This was going to take a lot of cleaning up. They were still gravely shaken by everything that had just happened, they _needed_ time to recover.

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><p>So the phrase "Everything is not what it seems" plays a <em>crucial<em> role in these chapters. Mr. Vega's no longer alive...I can see this won't end well. Then again, pretty much the entire gang was just obliterated. What remains? What's the true desires? Stick around for the next chapter. We _may_ get to see someone get neutered! XD Again, remember, visit my profile and vote in the poll if you can


	23. Battle of a True Master

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 22 (Battle of a True Master)<p>

Trina blasted her way into the door of the school. There were students around now. Why? Why were they here? It wasn't even four yet, but that didn't matter, class shouldn't even be close to over. The students looked at her with wide eyes. She was furious. Lane _would_ tell her where to find Seth. A great clamoring erupted from the students, they'd been wondering where she had been. Everyone knew what was going on with the gang, but they'd questioned whether or not Tori and her friends were alive.

"You all will _need_ to leave," Trina shouted out. It wasn't safe for any of them to be there right now. "Your guidance counselor is _not_ who he appears to be. You're _all_ in danger." The students began conversing amongst themselves, raising questions as to whether Lane was involved with the gang. Trina rubbed her forehead. She felt irritation seeping into her. Why weren't they doing what she wanted them to do? Why? "Listen, quit asking questions, you all have to leave n-" Suddenly a gunshot ran out and the students all screamed in anguish. Everyone looked to the stairs and Trina slowly clenched her fists.

Standing on the steps with his gun high in the air was none other than Lane. Next to him was Seth, a full headed, wrinkled older man. Sikowitz growled and took a step forward, glaring at the man. Jacob put his hand to Sikowitz's shoulder while Christy nudged them and pointed, whispering for them to be careful. Behind the two men, kneeling on the ground and crying, her neon red hair was clutched in Seth's calloused hand. Cat Valentine turned her gaze towards them, sniffling. She held up her wrists, a thick brown rope was digging into her flesh.

"Shit they have Cat…" Anger flashed through her body as Lane's cold smirk taunted her. This bastard was going _down_. If it was the last thing she did, he _would_ die. Lane slowly stepped down the stairs, shrugging his shoulders. The fearful students screamed and moved away from him, as if water flooding away to create a path. Trina clenched her jaw and stared him down. "Lane, you dirty little piece of shit. I'm going to tear you limb from limb. A _guidance_ counselor no less, and here I thought you were a good person."

"Not everything is what it seems, Miss Vega." Lane extended his handgun towards her, aiming it directly at her forehead. "I know the boss doesn't _want_ you dead, but you've caused us a lot of grief." Trina's eyes widened and sweat started to drip along her neck. She looked to the others around her. Christy and Jason were ready to spring into action. Sikowitz looked ready to run after Seth.

Seth laughed and started walking away, dragging Cat with him. She screamed out her cries and tried to squirm her body, but she just couldn't escape. Dr. Richards's phone blared and Trina quickly shifted her eyes to him. He took the call and everyone stared at him as if he were really oblivious to everything that was happening. He started to pale and quickly put the phone to Trina's ear. "It's for you, Chief Michael."

"Seriously?"

"I won't ask where you are," Michael said under his breath. He was speaking with a tone filled with sadness and laced with anger. "After this is all over, you will be safe to live your life. I want you to know that first of all…" Trina raised her eyebrows and waited as he continued on. "Trina. Giovanni's dead, we think someone else is pulling the strings."

"What!"

"Yeah…" Someone else pulling the strings? Her heart sank and her face began to pale. Could it be? _Nurse Bethany_ was truly in charge? No! No that couldn't _be!_ "We have worse news. Your dad…is dead." Those words, the very words she never wanted to hear. Her entire world began to crumble as her eyes widened and filled with terror. The others were close enough to hear. They eyed her with concern as her body began trembling, like a volcano about to explode. "It's not safe, you could be walking into a trap…most of the gang is gone now…"

Her eyes drifted to Lane, whose cheesy grin was growing wider with every passing second. It was infuriating! She hated this man, she hated everything about this traitor, this liar. She no longer heard Michael, her rage was boiling far too much for her to pay any attention to her surroundings. Her _father_ was _dead!_ First _Tori_ and now her _dad_? _Seriously? _Lane started to open his big mouth, but she didn't give him any time to speak.

With a warriors cry, she grabbed his arm and spun around, twisting his arm behind his back. Lane's eyes widened as she shoved his gun hand into the back of his pants. "You fire, you shoot off your ass. Sikowitz, go after Seth and Cat!"

"Got it!" Sikowitz began running as Trina continued screaming, her tears flying from her face. She kneed Lane in the back many times, which caused him to fire off a bullet after each kick. The bullets flew from his pants and into the floor, but along with them, came blood and Lane cringing painfully. He was _not_ in the right place for her to receive that news.

Sikowitz followed the sound of Cat's screaming to his own classroom. When he entered, he saw Seth standing on the stage with Cat curled up in a ball behind him. Seth faced him and slowly stepped down from the stage, chuckling. Cat lifted her head up and whimpered. "M-Mr. Sikowitz?" Jason and Christy came running in behind him, Trina was handling Lane _just fine._ "Jason!" Sikowitz glanced back at the two and breathed in deeply.

"Is Trina okay taking care of Lane?"

"He's really not a good fighter," Christy said while cringing. "Somehow I think he just got something very important shot off." Sikowitz lifted his shoulders and moved his eyes to Seth's eyes. He took a step forward and slammed the bottom of his walking stick on the ground. Seth spread his arms out and smiled.

"Erwin, how are you? It's been _too long_. I haven't seen you since our master passed away." Sikowitz pulled his lips back and felt an intense anger screaming from inside. He pointed his stick towards Seth and let out a deep bellow.

"You murdered our master! You did this to me!"

"Ah yes, unable to perform kung fu ever again. It's a shame that you're stuck looking after a bunch of sniveling brats, isn't it?" He lowered his stick and clenched his fist tight. Christy leaned in and whispered to him, much to his annoyance.

"Say the word and I'll run him through with this sword."

"Step. Back. Christy." She lifted her hands and moved backwards. He flicked his eyes to Seth and started moving forward. A low growl formed in his throat as Seth quickly lifted his foot high in the air, then brought it down onto a chair, breaking it in two. He laughed evilly and Sikowitz merely shrugged his shoulders. "I am not intimidated."

"You cannot do this! I have continued to grow in my strength while you have atrophied."

"I am stronger than you, my will is greater."

"Oh spare me the moral bullshit. The true _strength_ is in _power_, Sikowitz." Sikowitz cracked his neck and sighed. Power, was it? Yes. He had plenty of _that_. Though if Seth wanted to presume him to be a weak old man that couldn't fight any longer, let him. That was rule number one of all martial arts fighters, _never_ underestimate your opponent.

"You are not noble, you are not honest, you are evil. You besmirch the name of our master, and you soil the good art of kung fu." Seth chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. "You also forget the very basic rules of the trade, something that I have never forgotten. I have instilled these rules in my nephew and his friends. Would you even remember the honor of bowing to your opponent before battle?" Seth shot him a glare and threw his head back, laughing violently.

"Are you _serious_? I'll tear you in _two! _By the time you get done spouting your righteous crap, I'll have killed you faster than it took to take down our master before!" Sikowitz huffed and positioned his feet firmly on the ground, squatting just a bit. He moved his free hand, palm up, in the air in front of him.

"Then come at me Seth. If you truly think you'll kill me. There is so much at stake, you don't even know what you've gotten yourself into."

"Oh believe me, I _know_. I _will_ kill you."

"May the honorable man win." He turned his lip into a smirk. He held his stick behind him and moved his hand up, holding it vertically in front of him. "If you lose, you tell us where your boss is."

"Fine, I have nothing to lose."

"Oh no…" Sikowitz shook his head and closed his eyes. "You had everything to lose, even your soul, and you have lost it all." Seth rolled his eyes and dashed madly at Sikowitz. He twisted his upper body around and swung his fist in. Sikowitz quickly moved his hand in the way, deflecting the blow, then swung his stick around and slammed it into Seth's side.

"Ack!" Seth jumped back and narrowed his eyes. "Okay, so you have a stick. Whoopee, real _tough_." Sikowitz opened his eyes halfway and smirked as Jason began snickering. He'd trained others well with this stick, and he definitely knew how to tear someone down with it. "Die you old bastard!"

"Come at me." Sikowitz moved his stick up and gripped the ends with both arms. Seth charged forward and performed a karate chop. Sikowitz moved the stick upwards, deflecting the chop. He turned the stick vertical and deflected a karate chop from the side from Seth's other hand. Seth narrowed his eyes and brought his knee up, Sikowitz released his right hand and swung the stick down, slamming it into Seth's knee.

"Shit!" Seth bellowed and limped backwards, his right knee was now completely shattered. He growled and lunged for Sikowitz once more.

"You have forgotten so much, Seth. You've lost our Master's teachings _and_ his grace."

"Shut _up!_" He started to lift his wounded leg, leaning against the strong one, hoping to kick into Sikowitz's chest. Sikowitz gripped his walking stick still in a vertical position. He pushed it forward against Seth's foot, casing the leg to recoil back and snap painfully. Seth felt the pain scorching through his body and let out a wild scream. "Why can't I kill you? You're just an old man!"

"You sadden me." His heart mourned for Seth, the man had truly fallen from grace. Seth threw a punch towards him, but he deflected it. In a counter, he slammed his stick forward, bashing Seth in the middle of his chest. Seth grasped his chest and took a deep breath of air as he staggered backwards and fumbled to take a breath. Sikowitz slowly shook his head and looked upon him with sad eyes. "Why Seth? Why did you go the route you went? Was it for power? Wealth? Jealousy? Greed? What? What was it?"

"I was _sick_ of being the lesser student!" The words struck him cold as Seth glared upon him with a virulent anger. Seth's hand sailed through the air as his breathing grew heavy and sweat started running down his body. "You always got the glory! Always! You were the fucking star student, and nothing I could do, could ever grant me the Master's affection! Nothing!" Sikowitz's heart sank and he slowly bowed his head.

"I see. Envy. Truly the worst monster. I will pray for your soul, Seth."

"I couldn't care any less what you do for me!" One final charge, one final attempt at this man's life. Sikowitz turned his back to him and dropped his stick to the ground. Closing his eyes, he put his hands behind his back and recalled the one cheap trick he'd learned from his master. Jason's eyes widened and his lips grew into a grin, he knew this trick well.

Sikowitz quickly side stepped towards the right. Seth screamed as he started to pass his target. Sikowitz extended his leg out to the side, colliding it with Seth's leg and toppling the man. Seth let out a powerful yell and fell towards the ground. Thinking fast, he reached down to pick up his walking stick, spun in full circle, and slammed his stick down into Seth's lower back. Seth let out an ear piercing scream as Christy and Jason reached down to pin him.

"Now Seth…you do not deserve a death in battle, that is only for an _honorable_ warrior. You will be denied that right. Jason, hold him down with my stick." Jason nodded and grabbed the stick while Sikowitz slowly moved towards Cat. He glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. "You will spend a lifetime in prison, I am sure. First, before I order you unconscious, tell us where your boss is."

"The casino!" Seth exclaimed just as Trina came rushing into the room. "The Hustler Casino on Redondo. Damn it Sikowitz!"

"I am pleased. Jason, feel free to put him out of commission." Seth screamed as Jason slammed his head with his hand, knocking him out. Sikowitz closed his eyes and breathed out as Trina started moving slowly towards him. He finally felt at peace with the world. His Master, avenged.

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><p>Well, what did you guys think of this? I almost felt bad for Lane, but wasn't Sikowitz's fight epic?<p> 


	24. One Last Person

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 23 (One Last Person)<p>

"Trina, tell me you didn't damage Lane too much," Sikowitz commented as Trina stepped beside him, crossing her arms firmly against her chest. She took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders, lowering her arms. Lane was a bastard, and yes there was quite a bit of bloodshed in her rage, but at least the man was not dead. His balls might have been shot off, if he _had_ any, of course.

"Well I didn't _kill _him." She bowed her head, her balled up fists began shaking horribly. She was ashamed that she lost control. Sure her father was dead, but was that an excuse? Maybe, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. "I lost it. I just…my _dad_ is gone. I hate this. Chiefs Michael and Warren are on their way now…" They'd contacted Dr. Richards and let him know that they were headed towards them. "The Doc's still taking care of Lane. I think the students are a bit in shock…"

"How are you? Are you calm?"

She raised an eyebrow and chuckled dryly. Was he serious? Was he really asking this right now? Honestly? "How can I be?" She wanted the world to end, she wanted everything to crash, to burn. She didn't even feel like going after Nurse Bethany. She really was the only person left, and evidently, the base was this Hustler Hotel. What did this mean? A hotel filled with numerous enemies. Tori was dead. Her dad was gone. Most likely, her mother was gone too. The police were better off dealing with them. "Everyone I care about is gone, and you're asking me if I am _calm_?"

"I understand you're angry now." She scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. It was the understatement of the year. Jason and Christy stepped up to her and put their hands on her shoulder. She felt them there, but at the same time, she was so numb that she almost didn't realize they were there. "You've done what you set out to do by rescuing Tori's friends…" The teacher leaned over and untied Cat. The girl slowly rose to her feet, visibly shaken, but also she seemed something was on her mind. "Perhaps her spirit can rest in peace now." Tori bowed her head, her tears were all dried out, in truth. Maybe Tori would rest in peace, maybe her parents could rest in peace, but would she?

"Nurse Bethany…she's still…" She saw Cat scrunch her face, her body tensing with fear and concern. Of course, Cat probably had been traumatized over the past few days by that 'sweet' woman. She smiled sadly and met Cat's eyes. "Cat, you're safe now. You can be taken to your family now." Cat's eyes glazed over at the mention of her family. Her eyes filled with remorse, guilt, sorrow, and fear. She slowly looked around the room, absorbing all that she'd just seen.

"Mr. Sikowitz, you actually _fought_ that man?"

"I just whipped him around a bit with a stick, no big deal." He smirked playfully as Cat looked up to him, awestruck. He stepped down from the stage and inhaled deeply. He could feel his master smiling down upon him. Maybe he _was_ a master. He eyed Trina, Jason, and Christy with pride. It made him want to shed a tear. "We're not done yet, but first…Cat, your family is eager to see you." The girl gasped lightly and fresh tears erupted from her eyes.

"My family? Even after I ran off like that? I..I..."

"They love you," Jason commented. Trina nodded firmly and watched the redhead smile at him, recognizing him. She could tell if times were normal, Cat might want to ask if he was single, it was in her eyes that she still wondered about that. They'd only dated one time anyway, Cat was probably scared off by the fact that he was Sikowitz's nephew. She watched Jason move his strong arms against his firm chest and felt a shudder run through her body. That man was _hers_, she just couldn't believe it. Jason caught her staring and smirked, then glanced over to Cat, clearing his throat. Trina blushed and bowed her head, she wasn't too fond of being caught. "Anyway. They miss you and are willing to do _anything_ to get you back. Beck, Andre, Robbie, Jade…they're all safe. Mr. Vega didn't make it…" Cat gasped and covered her mouth, instant recollection shot past her eyes.

"Oh my god! Poor Tori!" Trina tensed her muscles and turned her head to the side. _Poor Tori_? The guilt was still there, eating away at her like a number of vicious piranhas. Her soul was slowly dying, and the more she thought about her sister's death, the more she lost it. Cat moved her hand to her chest and looked to Trina. "I'm so happy that they're all safe, and Trina, I'm sorry about your parents." Her eyes began to water and her fists clenched tight as Cat started moving towards her. "But Trina, I-"

"It's over Cat." Her voice was calm, unwavering. She was emotionally exhausted, and there just didn't seem to be anything to fire her up. "All that's left is that Hustler Casino, right? The police are better to stake that place out….too many gang members would be there." Sikowitz raised an eyebrow while Trina's friends gazed at her with worry. Jason moved towards her and gave her a friendly hug while Christy started to rub her back.

"Trina, you know we could handle it," Christy said with a slow smile. "We've made it this far." This far? They'd done all they could. A casino would probably be bigger than any of the places they'd been to, with more gang members than they'd ever faced. No way in hell she was subjecting them to that.

"It's not worth the risk, Christy. Cat's the last person…I never want to see Bethany's face again…let the police handle her." Cat gasped and started to weep.

"Trina no! The hustler casino was only where we were _held!_ It isn't where B-Bethany is…you _can't_ be done. You were saving us all!" Trina moved her sad eyes to the girl and pulled her lips back. Was she feeling so terrible that she couldn't go after her damned nurse? "B-Bethany, every one of us had her as a nurse. So I know what it feels like to see her, but Trina _please _hear me out! You _have _to go after her."

"Why, Cat? Why?" Trina stepped from her friends and inhaled sharply as her eyes remained locked with Cat's. Her drive was gone. After fighting Lane off, she broke down and cried. He wasn't supposed to be bad, but he was. Bethany was supposed to be on their side, but she was evil. It hurt like hell. If the police already took out Giovanni and the majority of the gang, they could certainly take out Bethany without her help. "I saved you all. You, Beck, Andre, Jade, and Robbie." Cat started blubbering, she wanted to say something, but Trina kept going. "Dad's dead, Mom's most definitely dead, Tori's gone…if that…_nurse_ is kicking back at her own house, fine. The police can go take care of her." She wiped her eyes and started to tremble. She was torn, split right down the middle, should she go in with guns blazing or should she let the police handle it?

"Trina! You're not understanding! It _isn't_ over! Hear me out, _please!_"

"Cat. It's over." She turned away and saw Jason watching her, a genuine concern filled his heart. She wanted to fall into his arms, she wanted to cry, but she also wanted to be alone. She needed to think. "God I'm so grateful to all of you. Jason, please just give that chip to Chiefs Michael and Warren…" He had the chip, he'd been carrying it for a while now. She moved her eyes to Christy and Sikowitz, both deeply concerned. Tears welled up in her eyes, had she given up? Was she giving up? "I can't fight for revenge. I was fighting for Tori, for my parents, for you guys, and now that you're all safe…there is no reason to continue." Cat screamed out and grabbed her hands. Trina sighed in exasperation, imaging Tori once more.

_"Trina save me, please!" Tori called out, her voice echoing through the air. Her sobs filled Trina's head, erupting from a dark place. "Oh god please…god I don't want to die! Please god, turn that water off! Trina where are you? I need you! I'm going to drown aren't I…oh god the water. Trina? Trina! TRINA! I need you, plea-a-a-se." Her voice shook with fear as water continued to drip, hitting the floor. "Don't give up on me, please. I need my sister! Please! Where are you!" She screamed and wept bitterly into her hands. "I'm hungry. I'm so hungry. I'm scared…so scared…I'm hurting. Oh god I'm hurting."_

Trina lifted her head to the ceiling and breathed out slowly, she just couldn't shake that nightmare. That dream. She felt the others staring at her and slowly looked towards them. She was a mess. "What…I…I still failed Tori. I'm so grateful for you, Jason, Christy, and I'm so happy you're safe Cat. Please don't ever stop loving your family. You…never know what you have until it's gone."

"But it's _not!_" Cat screamed at the top of her lungs. The air filled with silence as Cat threw her hands to her mouth and whimpered. The others quickly snapped their heads towards her as she slowly fell to her knees and put her hands to the ground. Trina slowly walked to her and knelt beside her, putting her hand to her back.

"Cat?" What was with this girl? Was there something Cat knew that the others didn't? Was it possible? "Is there something else?"

"Trina. The others…the others were carted away so quickly, but Lane and Seth. They kept me with them. I was there the whole time." Cat started to sob, putting her head to her hands. Trina raised an eyebrow as Cat slowly shook her head. "I've been trying to tell you, but you won't _listen!"_ What was so important? What did she need to listen to?

_Tori's voice echoed in her head once again, in between moans and sobs she screamed. "Can't anyone hear me? Trina! Trina, where are you? I _need_ you now! Please! I've always needed you, and I need you now. Oh god if you're up there, please…please don't let them forget me! Please!"_

"I'm here Cat. I'm ready to listen. Tell me…everything…" They waited as Cat began to explain. Michael and Warren finally arrived in the room, but were shushed by Sikowitz. No one spoke as Cat begun her story.

"They led us all in with bags over our heads…"

_"Put the bitch in the center of them," exclaimed a woman with a voice laced with venom. "Just one more Vega girl left" Cat struggled in her binds, her wrists were tied to the back of the chair. She couldn't see underneath the potato sack on her head, but the woman's voice sounded so familiar. _

_ "Mrs. Lucas, what about that chip?"_

_ "Screw the chip, this gang wasn't going to survive anyway!" Cat whimpered as she listened to the woman's voice. It echoed over the sounds of Beck's and Andre's moaning, the sounds of Jade's light sobbing, and Robbie's shivering. She hoped they'd be okay, but she was terrified. Too terrified. Where was Tori? Did they do something to Tori? Of everyone she heard, she couldn't hear Tori._

_ "Bethany? Why would you do this to my family? To my girls? Why? Why would you take their friends? I don't understand." Tori's mom? She was alive? She was safe? She tried to stifle her own whimpering to listen, but she could really hear so little of this conversation. "Where is my daughter?" Then again, was it really Mrs. Vega and not Tori? It was so hard to tell from the vocal inflection._

_ "Don't worry about your beloved gem, Holly. You know my connection with your girls, I haven't the heart to kill her. Not personally, anyway." Cat still wasn't sure what was being said. The woman who was begging, crying, sounded so much like Tori. She wanted to know who these people were and where they were at, but damn it if she couldn't gain any insight due to Robbie's whimpering and Beck's moaning. Not to say she wasn't concerned, she truly was, and wanted all of them to be safe, but she knew from her parents constant 'safety guides' over the years, if ever taken from home, it was best to try and remain calm in order to best gather clues of your whereabouts. She thought she heard something about a cold, dark basement in this woman, Bethany's home. Maybe they were holding the Vegas down there. "You however, I could care less about. I always thought you were a bitch…I grew up loving those girls like they were my own."_

_ "What?"_

_ "Why do you think I kept pressing that pathetic doctor to continue keeping them under his care all these years? Dumb bastard retired, so I don't get to see the girls anymore. Now I will…" Holly gasped. "I've never had a child of my own. Every one of these children here I've treated…I've watched them grow up, their parents and families neglecting them however, and I know…I could have treated them better. I could have made a better parent. Then there are your girls, such sweet children, I thought I could be a mother to them…"_

_ "You're insane!" _

_ "Maybe…"_

_ Cat was confused by what she was hearing, still blocked by the sounds of her friends, while also blocked by her own whimpering. She was really too terrified to make any kind of judgment on who was talking. "Guys be quiet," she whispered. "I'm trying to hea-" Suddenly the woman let out a shrill scream. A thud was heard and then silence. Cat silenced and whimpered softly. Was everyone okay? Who just died? _

_ Minutes later, she heard the cruel woman's voice again. "Get a camera ready. I got a surefire way to get Trina to come running towards us." She started to laugh. Suddenly, light, several gang members removed the bags from everyone's heads. They all screamed when they saw a girl in the middle of them, her head bowed, and straight brown hair covering her face. "Oh my god! Tori!" Cat let out a bawling scream as someone flashed a picture. Who seriously wanted to remember this gory, gruesome image? The other friends all reacted with shock, fear, but she didn't look to them. She didn't know how to tear her gaze away from the woman in the chair. _

_ She kept her eyes locked onto Tori, shivering as she studied her dead friend. The others started being pulled away by various leaders in the gang, but she remained, tears flooding her veins and her heart pounding so loud that it was all she could hear. Maybe this Bethany woman wanted to keep her here._

_ Something was amiss though. Tori's hair was more feathery than it was straight, plus it looked like someone just threw a brown wig on her. She sniffed and slowly dropped her eyes to the blood running from her neck. The outfit Tori was wearing looked more like something Mrs. Vega would have worn._

_ "T-T-Tori?" She lifted her head, whimpering with fear as she watched the lady with a round, pleasant looking face, glaring at an older man. She recognized the woman as Nurse Bethany, she was the kind Nurse who was almost always there when she was growing up. The same for the others, she was the most popular nurse at the clinic, all children loved her! She gasped in shock and kept her eyes locked onto the woman and the man._

_ "So where is Tori, Bethany?" The man asked. He spoke to her as though she were his wife. "Why the obsession?" _

_ "Tori and Trina should belong to us. I could care for them better than someone who is on the police force and never around." The man stared at her with an odd look while she folded her arms across her chest. Cat slowly looked to the woman before her, it _was_ Mrs. Vega. The facial features were clear. She gasped softly and listened as Bethany continued on her rant. "Why you remember when they got imprisoned in that foreign country because of some stupidity? I would _never_ have allowed that!" _

_ "They were born to the Vegas, you were only their nurse."_

_ "Don't question me, Giovanni!" Giovanni stepped back, shaking under his wife's vicious glare. "I will have them!"_

_ "Okay! Okay! Geez…so where is she?"_

_ "In our basement at home, of course. Now…" Cat looked to the two men beside them and gasped, it was Lane! What was Lane doing here? No, it couldn't be. Bethany turned to the two men and smirked. "Lane. Seth. Take care of Cat."_

_ "Yes ma'am," Lane replied. She whimpered as her school guidance counselor began moving towards her, a dark grin upon his face. She bowed her head and started shivering. She didn't know how, but somehow, she _had_ to let everyone know Tori was alive! She was alive! Bethany didn't plan on killing her. _

Trina stared at Cat, her eyes wide and her body frozen with the earth. There was a rumbling deep inside of her. Cat looked into her eyes and let out a soft, questioning whine. Tori was _alive?_ Bethany couldn't kill her? She'd lost her mother? She lost both her parents because of a _lunatic_ that never had any fucking kids of her own? The plan the entire time was just to get her to go so that she could have the second Vega child? Seriously? No wonder Giovanni killed himself.

Then it happened, like Mount Vesuvius going off and destroying a city, she exploded. She rose to her feet and let out a terrible howl. She was going to destroy _everything_ in her wake. She was _going_ to get Tori back. The others took a step back, the two Chiefs knew better than to stop her. She met Christy's eyes and felt a genuine concern for her.

"Christy." The girl met her eyes, seemingly aware of what was going through her head. Trina clenched her fists tight and tightened her jaw in place. Christy had an older brother and a family to go back to, they were concerned about her. "Go home."

"What?" Christy's eyes widened and everyone did a double take. Was it that surprising? She had a new drive, she had a new reason to keep going. She didn't want to do anything to endanger those that she loved. They would have to forgive her for this.

"This one is mine. Forgive me." Jason moved forward, his face mixed with concern, loyalty, and fear.

"Trina. Alone?" She put her hands to his shoulders and looked into his eyes. He was the last person she wanted to lose, and the last person she wanted to put at risk.

"This isn't a lone wolf complex, this is about me, about Tori, about this fucking bitch that made us think she cared about us because she was our Nurse. She's killed my parents, she's messed with all of Tori's friends, she's holding Tori at her house…she is _going to pay for this!_"

"Trina are you sure you want to go alone?" She turned her head to Sikowitz, his question was filled with the same questioning tone as the others. He needed to stay here, he needed to be the one to continue teaching everyone. She slowly nodded, it was the only way after all.

"I'm sorry Mr. Sikowitz. I can't endanger anyone else." She already knew where Bethany's address was, everyone in town new where that woman lived. She lived in an upscale, Victorian home not far from here. She met Jason's eyes, so filled with love, so filled with trust. She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on the lips. When she pulled back, he appeared mildly confused. "Jason. I'm not going to talk like I won't come back. I've come to love you, all of you." She stepped back and eyed him, Christy, Sikowitz, and the two Chiefs. "Thank you everyone for…for everything. I'm _going_ to put a stop to this, I will get my baby sister back. She _needs_ me." As she started towards the doorway, no one stopped her, everyone was too stunned by her sudden decision to move. She stopped and glanced back at everyone. Would she really be okay? The question went through her mind, but she could read it in the eyes of everyone. She looked to Cat, the innocent one in all of this. Thank _God_ that Cat had been able to tell. Thank god she confirmed Trina's constant mental battle over that damned picture. She wasn't looking at her sister, she was looking at her _mother!_ To the end, her mom was trying to defend her daughters, that's what she believed. Her mom died for them.

She clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes. "I'm _not_ letting _anyone else_ risk getting hurt because of me. If this woman wants me, I'm going to give her what she wants." She met her best friends gazes once more. Her heart started to sink, she knew they were hurt, but it had to be like this. "Jason, Christy, expect to see me again. You both have lives, people depending on you to come home safe, and so do I. I'll come back with Tori, but I don't want you to endanger your lives any further…God knows what this woman has hiding in her arsenal. If it's anything like that horror shop, then that's the last place I want you to be. I love you, you're all…family to me…" She smirked slightly and looked to Cat. "Cat, thank you. Everyone, take her home. I have some trash to deal with."

She stormed out, leaving them all behind. This was it. Nurse Bethany was _dead_. She crossed the _wrong_ Vega. As she stormed through the halls of the school, students watched her cautiously. Don't worry, dear students, she would bring your beloved Tori back to you. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stepped over the unconscious guidance counselor near the front door. She let out a scoff and formed a low growl from deep inside her throat. Nothing would stop her now, no one would get in her way. There was only one person who counted on her more, always depended on her and needed her more than ever, and she _refused _to let that person down! "My sister needs me."

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><p>Whoa. That's all I have to say there, give me your thoughts if you will ^_^<p> 


	25. Old Enemy Arrives

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

><p>Chapter 24 (Old Enemy Arrives)<p>

Trina stood before the giant mansion, slowly closing her hands as Tori's cry echoed through her head, replaying constantly. What was she going to do to Bethany? Everything that happened to _Morgan_ didn't seem like punishment enough for _this_ bitch nurse. The most popular nurse at the hospital, was about to meet Trina's fist. She narrowed her gaze on the door and growled. "Hello Doctor, you're going to need to find yourself a new nurse. You have my _deepest_ sympathies!" With an angry roar she kicked the front doors open.

In hindsight, it was likely stupid of her to come here alone. Did she have a choice, though? No, there was no choice, she'd reassured herself of this. She let out a loud yell, demanding that Bethany show herself. _"Trina be careful, nothing is ever as it appears,"_ Sikowitz's voice echoed in her head. He'd called while she was on her way, he had to keep Christy and Jason from jumping out of his car to rush to Trina's aid. He gave her upstanding advice that she would take to heart. She wasn't here for revenge, she wasn't here for blood, there was only one thing she was here for, and she would get it.

"I may not always get what I want like Tori, but this time…I _am_ getting what I want. I am not leaving here without…" She heard footsteps in another room and quickly glared to the right. The mansion interior was made up of grey walls, and red carpet. There were two doors to her right, two doors to her left, and stairs directly in front of her that led to a second floor. This place had three floors that she saw from the outside, and chances were, the woman may have booby trapped the entire place. The door on the right further from her, closer to the steps, opened up and a familiar enemy stepped out.

Her heart pulsed and her jaw fell in shock, _Sinjin_ was released? Sinjin smirked and was clapping his hands almost rhythmically, one clap every three seconds. "Brilliant run Trina, you made it all this way. Amazing." She glared at him, this newfound object of her rage.

"Didn't I just kick your ass and send you to prison?"

"Oh yeah, about that…" He smirked and brought his hand to his chin, tapping his finger gently on the side of his face. She studied him carefully, surprised that she was seeing some sort of transformation. His hair was not in its usual afro style, but in long semi-curls gracing his shoulders. He wasn't wearing his wire framed glasses, rather, he wore contacts. "My arresting officer didn't check me all over. You see, someone made a mistake Trina…"

"What are you talking about?" Mistake? What mistake? She narrowed her eyes and glared as he started to circle her, keeping his eyes locked with her. She watched as a dagger slowly protruded from his right sleeve and into his hand. Her eyebrows rose and instantly she started to wonder how many daggers this man had on him.

"I'll get to that, Vega." He clicked his feet on the ground and her eyes shot down just as knives protruded from the soles. Much like what mobsters wore, shoes with hidden knives. Shit, she thought, no he could have kicked the seat of the police officer and stabbed right into him! Those knives looked about six inches long! "I see you're eyeing the weaponry. Sector A was all about blades, and I am a blade specialist."

"I see. How do you feel knowing your captain wasn't even trying to get you out of jail?" Sinjin stopped walking, keeping his right side turned towards her. He raised his arm to his left shoulder, his face darkened, and a sinister laugh left his lips. "What's so damned funny, Sinjin?"

"What's funny is you thought that pathetic weasel was the Capo." The air grew increasingly heavy and silent as she eyed him. Damian wasn't the true captain? Then who the hell was? Her eyes grew large and her heart began pounding erratically, and with each thump, she was more and more certain who the true captain was. "Obviously the slime couldn't wait until I made it clear that I'd be back before he decided to step up into the captain's seat and choose a lieutenant. That prick wasn't worth the time, and I do so apologize for his seduction attempt, I wouldn't allow that behavior."

"Y-You're Sector A's Captain?"

"The one and only, always have been." He flicked his arm out and Trina quickly backflipped, narrowly avoiding the flying dagger.

"Holy shit!" When she rose she met his menacing gaze. How had she overlooked that? He'd been taken down so easily before. Why? Why had he let himself be taken down if he were truly the Captain? "You went down easily before."

"And _you_ didn't stop to ask yourself if I went down _too_ _easily_." Granted, every lieutenant was just as powerful as their Captain, so even if he had been a Lieutenant, he would have _still _have gone down way to easily for his status. It was all an act? Deception? "I attempted to appeal to your _nicer_ side…turns out I neglected to take into consideration just how much rage you had in you at the time. Either or, now you get to see just how deadly I can be…"

"If you're the only thing standing in between me and that bitch, then I don't have a problem!"

"No, remember Tyson?" Didn't Michael take him in? She raised an eyebrow as Sinjin's lip curled into a murderous smirk. "It seems the kind Nurse was generous enough to bail him out of prison. So he's _somewhere_ in this house." Crap! Her heart started to speed up and the bile began to creep up her throat. She couldn't be afraid, but she was definitely nervous. Two captains in one, then Bethany? "I see it in your eyes Trina, you're realizing that maybe you should have let your friends come along for the ride. Even if you do make it past me, there's still plenty of death traps in this house. Maybe I won't go full out on you just yet, someone's got to kill the bitch, right?" She raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

"Fuck you, Sinjin." The element of surprise was something she'd give strongly to have right about now, but of course, that wasn't happening. She was starting to regret not killing anyone. Hell, they didn't even kill Lilith, they left that girl in the whole mess without checking to make sure she was tied up or even alive. Venus was at least at the hospital, still having survived from that blade to the gut. Ying and Niu were still in prison. "What about Ying? Niu? Why aren't they around here?"

"Because they're worthless to Bethany. Though, I myself, don't care much for Bethany…"

"Why do you work for her then?"

"Why? Only because Giovanni was her husband. My girlfriend and I couldn't bring ourselves to care about the bitch and her plans." She raised an eyebrow and clenched her hands tightly, watching his bladed feet as he started walking around her once more. When did he have a girlfriend? She was someone in the gang? Did she have to worry about this? "Why am I still here, you're probably wondering? Revenge. For Raven." Her heart stopped and her blood ran cold. _Raven_ had been his girlfriend?

"Look Sinjin, I'm just here for my sister, that's _all." _As if appealing to any prayerfully existent softer side of him would help. He chuckled and swept his hand through the air, pointing at the room he just came from.

"In that room is the basement where Tori's held. She is alive, I will not lie about that." He turned his glare to her. She eyed the room with growing anticipation. If only she could go in there, but there were iron bars blocking off the doorway, much to her irritation. "As you can see Nurse Bethany has the master controls to release that gate. She controls everything in this house, every trap, and can see every room. She's on the third floor in her office. She can release that gate, but _she_ has the key to unlock the basement door. Can you get far enough?"

She cursed mentally and closed her eyes, her blood was beginning to boil and she was becoming very impatient. She was not in the mood for games. She wasn't even in the mood to talk any more to Sinjin. "I'll get there, I can do it. I have to. No matter what, _nothing_ will stop me." Sinjin chuckled with spite and pushed his hands into his pockets. She swallowed and stared once more at his shoe blades, still confident she could take him. Her eyes lifted to his and she wondered, if she was that police officer that arrested him, would she have been able to keep him from getting away? Police work seemed pretty good to her lately, and she did need a job after getting Tori out of this mess. "Hey Sinjin, you know something?"

"What?"

"I think after this, I'm going to go into police work. You know, for my dad."

"Oh? Is that so? I forgot to ask, how's college?" College? That's right, she'd been taking courses at a local community college for a year now, since she graduated Hollywood Arts a year ago. "Surely you've missed your recent classes. Also, you're going to need a job, and if you want to go into police work, well…" She was undecided at the moment, but

"Yeah, but I'm not concerned. And I can still get a job while going to school, Sinjin." She craned her neck and sighed. She would need a job and the Chiefs would likely hire her. Being eighteen, there were jobs in law enforcement that she could take, even an actual police officer. Once she got done with the academy, that is. She'd use that job to take care of Tori, because god knows that girl will probably be living with her for some time until she were mentally stable again, and she'd use the money to get into college. Whatever money her parents had left over, she would put in a savings account. "Going to have a lot of work to do when I'm done here…may as well get started."

"You _honestly_ think you're going to make it out of here alive?" He laughed and extended his hand, curling his fingers inwards and taunting her. "So come get me."

"No. How about you come get me." He shrugged and slowly licked his chops like he'd finished downing some great meal.

"Whatever works, but I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart, _Vega_." He charged towards her and she made sure to keep her eyes on those feet. He did not take his hands from his pockets. In a flash, he stopped, leaned his upper body back and started kicking his foot towards her head. Her eyes widened and she hastily threw her head back, allowing his bladed foot to swing over her head. So damn close! Why was it the first person she had to face looked like he might be a nimble, deadly weapon with one swift kick! To top it off, it was _Sinjin! _She felt of her hair and growled, a small portion had been chopped off at the tip.

She threw herself backwards, spinning her body as she kicked out, striking Sinjin in the chest with her foot. She held her hands out and landed safely on the ground, listening as Sinjin stumbled backwards. She turned her head and saw him moving swiftly towards her, like a leaf being blown about in the wind, his movements were wide and open. He kicked towards her side. She quickly rolled opposite of his foot, managing only to be scratched by the blade.

The point was still sharp enough that it sent a searing pain through her body, as if she'd just been slashed by Christy's sword. She rolled onto her back and held her left side. She lifted her hand and growled, her black jumpsuit was torn and the cut she'd just sustained, while shallow, still seemed to bleed rather quickly. Sinjin's shadow fell upon her and she quickly rolled away from him, barely dodging yet another kick, only to be scratched by the blade yet again. If not for her fast movements, Sinjin would have torn her apart by now! Thinking fast, she pushed herself up and kicked to the side. Sinjin leaned his upper body backwards, then moved his upper body in a circle, appearing as a tornado.

He narrowed his eyes and shot his leg forward, kicking her hard in the chest with the heel of his foot. She staggered backwards and growled. Why was he being so difficult? Suddenly a sharp pain struck her in between her breasts, he'd just kicked up and slashed through that region. She tilted her head back, to avoid being stabbed in the chin, then leapt backwards, glaring down at the cut. It was burning, like fire, and bloody, but nothing she couldn't bear with. "You really shouldn't have come alone, Trina. It's dangerous." She lifted her hand from her cut on the side and frowned as the blood slowly seeped out, thankfully it was clotting and not bleeding as profusely. It still hurt like hell, every time she bent, it was like a wasp's sting. Now she'd just have to tolerate the other cut until she was done here.

"I'm not overly concerned." She would be foolish to think her martial arts prowess was going to help her in this situation. As good as she was, he was far too loose and nimble, he could easily dodge just to his relaxed movements. Too fluid. She needed to find something to fight him off with. Afterwards, she'd steal his shoes, they could really power her up.

Like lightning he charged her once more. She started backflipping from him as he continued a repetitive motion of lifting one leg, sweeping it through the air, putting it down, and kicking with the second leg. He kept his hands in his pocket the entire time. Eventually she reached the wall and pressed her feet onto it, then shoved herself off, somersaulting over him. He watched her and growled.

"You can't avoid me forever, Trina!"

"Oh I know that." She grabbed onto a hook embedded in the wall just above the door and glanced up at the ceiling where a giant glass chandelier rested within arms reach. When she turned her gaze towards Sinjin, she saw him move his arms from his pockets. Daggers shot from his sleeves and his eyes glinted dangerously, this man must be a master with daggers, she needed to stay clear away from him! He swept his arm through the air, tossing a dagger towards her. Thinking fast, she jumped from the wall and leapt onto the chandelier. She chuckled and she eyed the pearls running along the rims of the giant light fixture. He couldn't reach her up here. Hopefully. Judging by the expression on his face, he was incredibly annoyed.

"You're just going to hang up there? Don't worry, take as much time as you need! I'll still be here." It wasn't that she was trying to be cowardly or anything, she was just trying to buy herself some time. How'd she manage to get up there? It wasn't hard, the chandelier wasn't too high to have grabbed, but thankfully it was higher than Sinjin was. She whistled and whispered under her breath.

"Where's a gun when you need it?" She turned her gaze to one of the rooms on the other side. A bathroom? There was a thought. She smirked as she imagined a nice cool, wet surface. Those shoes he was wearing had flat soles, not fun on slippery surfaces. That gave her a great idea. She quickly pulled her body and pushed forward, trying to swing the chandelier. Sinjin watched with an arched eyebrow as the chandelier continued to sway from left to right. After a second of rocking, she threw herself forward as the chandelier reached the top of where she wanted to go.

"What are you up to, Vega?" She somersaulted in the air and landed firmly in front of the bathroom door. She heard his quick steps already and ran for the showerhead. It was one of those moveable heads, which was excellent. She flipped the water on, freezing cold, sprayed the floor, then sprayed out the door just as Sinjin started to run in. "Holy shit!"

"Hope you don't mind a little water, Sinjin!" He started trying to turn, but inertia was already playing against him. He screamed and slammed to the ground, hitting his head against the wall. Trina threw the showerhead in the tub and quickly removed Sinjin's shoes. "You won't be needing _these_."

He moaned and slowly began to push himself up. He turned his glare to her and quickly spun around, swinging a fist, tightly clenching a six-inch blade. Reacting with a sudden swiftness, exhausted with him, she swung one of his shoes down, the concealed blade piercing into his chest. His eyes widened as blood gushed from the wound. As he fell backwards, Trina exhaled, pleased that she_ finally_ managed to kick his ass. In addition, she got a pretty awesome power up, shoe blades.

"Y-You think this is over?" She looked down at him to see him clutching his chest, growling slightly. Sweat drenched his face and his body quivered, he probably wouldn't make it much longer. After all, she did just stab him square in the chest.

"I'm pretty sure you're going to die here." She replaced her shoes with the shoe knives and walked out of the bathroom. The shoes fit remarkably well, plus they felt clean, minus the being wet part. She looked down at Sinjin once more, he was sneering at her. There was no reason to do any more damage to him, he'd bleed out. "I'm just amazed you're still alive after taking a blow to the heart."

"Heart?" He smirked and closed his eyes. "Have you ever heard of Dextrocardia, Trina? Look it up…"

"Dex…" Her brow furrowed and she let out an impatient breath of air. "I don't have time for this. I'm not sitting here to talk to you until your heart bleeds out, I have to save Tori. Later Sinjin." She started to leave the bathroom, thinking of the term Sinjin just used. She had no idea what it meant, but she knew Cardio meant _heart_, so maybe it had something to do with his heart. No matter. Again, it felt like he'd gone down just a tad easily, but she was more focused on trying to find that deranged nurse.

After stepping into view, she looked up to a camera in the far corner of the room. "Come on Bethany, I know you're watching." She breathed out heavily and pointed to Sinjin. "That was a dirty, cheap ass trick!"

"Oh yes my dear," Bethany's voice echoed off the walls, striking Trina's eardrums with excessive force. She spun around and growled when she spotted a speaker hooked up to the wall beside the front doors. "I had hoped he would just knock you unconscious, I'm sorry he tried to kill you."

"You're a fuckin' psycho. You know that? If you really care about me or Tori, you will let me take her home!"

"But this can be your home now."

"The hell it can…you killed our parents! If you truly cared about us, you would not have done that!"

"You don't understand…if I didn't do these things, you might leave."

"So forcing Tori to stay with you is your way of emphasizing that you _care_?" She clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes upon the stairs. Sinjin said she was on the third floor, did he not? "Then I'm going to find you…and I'm going to take my sister back by whatever means necessary. Try to stop me if you like, freak, but right now my main concern is on what's best for Tori. You won't stop me, you just won't. You'd better be ready. I _refuse_ to lose her again."

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><p>*whistles* Well guys, tell me what you think. I hope you've paid close attention to everything.<p> 


	26. Pushed to the Limit

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

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><p>Chapter 25 (Pushed to the Limit)<p>

Trina started up the stairs, half expecting them to slide out from under her. She honestly couldn't even dream what was in store for her. With only one thing driving her, she just couldn't give up, no matter what popped out at her. Once she made it halfway up the steps, she heard a metallic slurping noise from behind. She turned her gaze over her shoulder and froze when she saw spikes shooting up from small holes in the steps. Each step had about three holes spaced five inches apart. They were coming at her rather swiftly. She thought Bethany was trying _not_ to kill her!

With a quick foot, she started running up the stairs, the spikes quickly tailing her. "What kind of trap is this?" The stairs were numerous and rushing from the spikes felt almost as an eternity. Eventually she made it to the top step, hopped over the very final small holes and let out a shout as she heard a tear. One spike had just torn through her pant leg and scraped her flesh. Fortunately, she managed only to be nicked by the spike. She stared breathlessly and turned her head up, letting out a wild exclamation. "What the _hell_ was that! Are you trying to kill me?"

"No dearie, I simply want you to give up. Your mother is dead, you need a new one." Hatred sparked from her heart and her eyes started to sting from tears, she let out an angry shout and slammed her fist into a light attached to the wall beside her.

"Do not talk about my mother…You have no _right_ to talk about her!" This woman was nuts if she thought she was going to replace Holly. She closed her eyes and let her thoughts travel to her parents. Her body shook and she spoke softly, whispering only to them. _"Mom, Dad, I know you're watching me right now…please, watch over Tori. Hold her, embrace her, love her until I can get to her. Watch over me too…God, give the will and the strength to do this…"_ She opened her eyes and closed her fists tight. "I'm not going to give up, _Nurse._ I'm going to tear you apart…maybe you can play some nice fight music while I kick whatever goons you have lying in wait for me."

"Oh dear, dear Trina, you are so naïve. The only one left is Tyson, I couldn't get Venus, she is still in the Prison hospital, and I did not care for any of the thugs."

"Go figure. I guess you didn't go after Mrs. Lee then?"

"I had no need for her dearie, she wanted to harm Tori. I couldn't have that." Trina shuddered and started to move forward, but stopped as she gazed down the hallway before her. At the end of the hall was a door that must lead into the bigger area of the second floor, perhaps a ballroom or something. It was on the wall to her right. She turned her gaze behind and frowned, the wall did span past her. Just behind her was a wall that connected to the side wall, its bottom hovered just eight feet above the stairs, and it rose up high to the ceiling, about ten feet above.

Now this whole map was not a problem for her, the problem was that the door on the end of the hall was the only door, and in front of her were three lines on the ground with buzz saws moving from side to side. The saws weren't going too fast, but either way she would have to be fast. "Not trying to kill us, huh…well look…I'm _not_ turning back one way or another. Oh, and guess what, you're a coward!" She heard Bethany chuckling over the PA system, then heard a sudden shutter noise. Small square patches on either side of the walls opened just six feet above the ground. There were two on each wall just before and just after the saws of death. She raised an eyebrow and watched as strange nozzles began moving from the walls "Holy shit…what is this…"

Black smoke started spraying from the nozzles, polluting the hallway. Trina's eyes widened and she quickly cupped her shirt over her mouth. The smoke was starting to cloak the saws, making it hard to see them. This was not good. She knew better than to breathe in that smog, but the problem now was visibility. She did not need to lose any limbs here. "Not making this easy for me are you…psycho." This woman really didn't want to let Tori go! She crouched and smirked subtly, the smog wasn't going down towards the buzz saws, so she had a clear view.

The saws took about five seconds to move from one side to the next, so she did have five seconds to move. The first and third saw were always parallel, so when they were on the right, the middle saw was on the left. If she crouched low, she could still move swiftly and avoid the smog above her. At least this woman didn't have a damn guillotine, but she'd better not say that aloud, for fear that she may actually have one. Now, she needed to map this out, it was all about timing, one misstep could cost her a leg.

If she stepped on the first one while the saw was all the way at the other side, she could count to three, giving her just enough time for the middle saw to have passed her. When that middle saw reached the edge and started moving back towards her, at least six more seconds, she could step onto the third, then she'd be off!

Sweat dripped down her neck as she crouched low, practically sitting on air, and moved to the right wall. She reached her hand up and placed it firmly on the wall, watching as the saw touched the wall, then began moving away. Once clear, she stepped onto the first line. She started to step forward, but the middle buzz saw was too close. She pulled her leg back and watched as it touched the wall, so close to her foot. She swallowed hard as the saw began to move along the line. Once clear, she stepped onto the middle saw. The third saw was just a little larger than the first, but not so much that it would be problematic.

She stepped onto the third line after the saw passed her up, then stepped off, cheering on the inside. It only took a little over fifteen seconds, but it felt like an eternity. The metallic buzzing noise still rang in her ears, and it would probably stay that way for some time. Once on the other side, she saw four circles opening from the wall ahead. Her eyes widened as she saw several cone shaped points starting to move out.

"Oh holy f…" She leapt down as long metal spears fired out at her, passing overhead like rockets. She growled and lifted her eyes towards the ceiling. "If you think this is giving you any brownie points, you're dead wrong!" The floor began to rumble, stunning her for a split second. She quickly rose to her feet and twisted around, staring in suspicion at the ground. "Do I even want to know…" Two lines started to form, with her in between. The ground was crumbling beneath her! "Shit!" She started running, reaching her arm out as she started to fall. There was enough space between this floor and the ceiling of the first floor that she would be trapped in a pit. Her heart was racing and sweat was flying with her hair.

She let out a dangerous scream and found herself slamming into the wall of the pit. She was shaken, but she managed to grab the floor with her right arm. Hitting the wall knocked the wind from her. She shook her head and quickly lifted her left hand, clutching the floor with all her might. As she looked down, she saw the pit was just four feet below her own feet. If she fell, there was no way she could just jump four feet and grab the top.

She clicked the heels of her boot knives, then slammed the knives into the walls, steadying herself. She flung her hair from her face and breathed heavily. "Wow Sinjin, who knew you could have something that would help _me_." She strained her muscles and started pulling herself up. As she pulled, she removed her right shoe knife, lifted her leg, and slammed it back into the wall. The wall was fortunately hollow inside, though that also meant she had to be careful.

She continued her climb until she managed to pull herself from the pit. Had she fallen in, she probably could have used the shoes on her hands. She lay flat on the ground, panting as her muscles started to burn. She didn't need to be getting worn out, not yet. Not here. But she was so tired, so damn tired. She clenched her eyes shut, would it matter if she slept right now? Just five minutes, only five minutes to rest her eyes.

_"It's so cold down here," Tori's voice echoed. "So cold, so dark…Trina? Mom? Dad? Anyone? Can anyone hear me? I'm trapped down here!"_

Trina's eyes shot open, a new strength coursed through her veins. With a grunt, she put her hands to the ground and pushed herself up. She put her hand to the doorknob and pushed it open, entering into the first room. It was a large room with a huge rectangular meeting table. Several chairs framed it.

She heard the sound of metal cranking, then glanced up at the ceiling. She froze with fear as she eyed four metal machine guns in each corner of the room. "Oh no…You wouldn't…"

"I'm sorry dearie, but I have to use force."

"Shit!" Her curse was long and drawn out as she began running for the table. The four machine guns instantly started firing at her, following her. She dove for the space beneath the table and threw her hands over her head. The table was, thankfully, made of brown marble stone, so it would be a while before those bullets chipped through.

She looked out ahead of her and began crawling to the back end of the table. There was a door that led to another room, so if she made a break for it, she could likely get away from these guns. Speaking of which, the firing had ceased. She raised an eyebrow and hummed to herself, were the guns based off of movement? If so, she could truly luck out. Maybe.

She moved her fingers through the thick carpet and growled as the smell of gun smoke struck her nostrils. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _"Wish me luck, Tori."_ She pushed off with her strong foot and rose up, bolting for the door. Her eyes fell onto the doorknob, she stayed focused on the knob and reached out. The guns clicked towards her as she closed her hand onto the golden handle. As she opened the door and stepped through the window, shells from the guns bounced off the ground and splashed her lower left leg. She let out a scream as the shrapnel burned her flesh.

Once inside, she leaned against the wall and started panting. A warm liquid began running down her pants. She looked down and cringed, her leg was on fire! Maybe not literally, but it had been streaked by those bullet shells. She was lucky no bullets pierced her, but still her leg was in a great amount of pain and blood was running down to her shoes.

She didn't have any time to recover, as heavy footsteps came running towards her. She opened her eyes in time to see Tyson charging towards her like an ox. Her eyes widened and she quickly leapt to the side. When her left leg touched the ground, it felt like someone had just stabbed a million road spikes into it. She cringed and looked back over her shoulder as Tyson slammed his shoulder into the wall.

"What? I don't get any chance to recover? I think my leg just got shot up!"

"You'll live. For a few seconds." He ran forward and grabbed her neck. She let out a shout as he pushed her into a nearby window. She put her hands to his wrist and gasped as the windowsill jabbed her lower back and her body bent back. She turned her head and yelped when she took a look at the ground several feet below her. If she fell, she might not survive, and to top it off, a guy that was physically stronger than she was, was holding her halfway out.

His hand tightened around her neck and her face started to turn blue. She moved her eyes to the back of her head and started flailing her legs. Ugh, what was the problem here? She had those shoes of Sinjin's. She wasn't one for cheap tricks, but moments like these called for them. "T-This is…really going to hurt…_you_." She gagged her words out and lowered her eyes to his, her face becoming a deep shade of violet. His legs were spread over hers, a very bad position for him to be in.

She curled her right leg in, raising her knee, watching as he raised an eyebrow. She moved her hands out and flattened them against the walls beside the window, then kicked her leg up. She strained as her left leg started flaring with pain, being the one leg remaining on the ground. The blade in her shoe tore through Tyson directly between his legs. Tyson screamed as she ripped the blade forward out of his body. He fell backwards, releasing her. She pushed herself in and watched as he held onto his crotch, rolling from side to side while blood and feces began spilling on the floor. She groaned in disgust and slowly limped around him.

"You _bitch!_ That fucking hurts!" She took a slow, deep breath and slowly leaned her right leg back. She hated this man with a passion that sparked from deep inside. She wasn't sure why, really, but if she had to guess, she would have to assume it was from what just happened to her. She rubbed her neck and took another deep breath, still struggling to return the air to her lungs.

"Yeah well, this is probably going to hurt more…" The man moved his hand to his waist, grabbing a concealed handgun from his jean pocket. He started to aim the gun up, but before he could do anything, Trina threw her foot forward, slamming the blade into his head. He gasped and let his arms fall out to the side. She watched his body convulse for a minute after she pulled her shoe back. She was seriously getting tired of this.

"I'm done playing nice…" She reached down and grabbed the gun from his hand. She had a feeling this would come in handy. As she turned away from him, she started limping through the remaining rooms, watching closely for any traps, but strangely enough, there were none. When she reached the steps leading up to the third floor, she started slowly climbing them. One hand holding onto her gun and the other, the stairwell.

As she was halfway up the steps, they started to click. Her eyes widened and she quickly swung her gun arm around to grab the railing. The steps sank into a diagonal slide and her body slammed down against the rail. She growled and looked up, there were about thirteen more rungs in the railing before she would reach the top. Her arms were already extremely sore and her left leg wasn't doing much better. She'd since rolled up her pant leg and had taken the shirt from Tyson, using it to tie around her leg. "And here I thought you didn't have anything else planned…"

Using all her might, she let out a loud grunt and began pulling herself up, sliding along the steps and suffering from major carpet burn. It felt like fire, licking her body, burning her, taunting her, but she fought against it. Eventually she reached the top and lay back, only her feet hung off of the steps.

"Poor baby, you look so exhausted." Bethany's voice stung her ears. She groaned and put her arm to her forehead. She seriously didn't need any more of this woman. She was already mentally and emotionally drained from realizing the nurse she'd grown up with headed the gang that took Tori, but now realizing just how psycho her goals were, it only made things worse. "Come right in here, Momma will make it all better."

"Shut…up…" She groaned frustratingly and started slamming her fist on the ground. "You are not my mother, you're my fucking _nurse_ for god sake. I _hate you!_" She pushed herself up and started to limp through whatever room she was in. She was almost certain she was developing tunnel vision, but maybe only in her mind. Her rage was simply making her focus solely on what was in front of her.

She stopped in front of a large oak door, quite possibly the door leading into Bethany's office. She leaned against the wall, pressing her shoulder up against it and sighing softly. The things she did for her little sister. Once they got out of this house, she was _not_ letting Tori out of her sight. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, she attempted to steady her heartbeat and settle her shot nerves. "Well. Here goes nothing then…" She opened her eyes halfway and swallowed hard. She wasn't afraid. No, not at all. She could do this. She _would_ do this. "Nurse Bethany." She cracked her neck and narrowed her eyes while cocking the handgun, so much for martial arts. "Time to die."

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><p>Dun Dun Dun. Here we go, Trina's just gone through hell to reach her, it's all come down to this. <em>Almost<em> felt bad for Tyson. That house, a literal death trap, Trina's bloody, but determined. Here comes the final fight.

By the way, while we're at it, take some time to listen to this song and see how well it fits this: h t t p: / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=O0M5D5OA-d4


	27. Beyond Exasperation

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N: Here it is! Pay close attention to every detail towards the end, you may catch something that is quite literally a blink-and-miss.

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><p>Chapter 26 (Beyond Exasperation)<p>

She kicked open the door and peered her head around the corner, narrowing her gaze into the room. It was a typical office, the walls were made of brown wood, mixing with a warm brown tiled floor. The office itself was large. The floor had a round, red rug in between the door and desk. The desk was made of black wood and had numerous computer systems sitting on or around it. This woman had screens everywhere. Two large potted trees sat in the back corners of the room, with a tiled window directly in the middle, behind the desk. Bethany herself was sitting in a brown office chair that had been turned around, the back facing Trina.

For a split moment, she got a bit cocky. She stepped into the room without scanning her surroundings and aimed the gun at the chair. In all her rage, all her hatred, she fired two bullets into the chair, screaming. The bullets ripped through and shattered the window, but no blood spilt. She stared in confusion and started to lower her gun. The chair was turning, due to the force of the bullets. What she saw was a very well made puppet replica of Bethany.

"Are you serious…" She was knocked to the ground by a devastating blow to her back. She let out a loud yelp and looked up to see Bethany, wielding an aluminum bat, among other things. The woman had the bat in her right hand, and a long black whip in her left. She had a belt with a number of syringes. The woman cracked her whip on Trina's hip, causing the fabric to tear and pain to shoot through her. She tilted her head back and screamed. "The hell!"

"You must be disciplined, Trina. Now take your medicine…" The woman pulled on syringe from her belt and started moving towards her. Trina's eyes widened on the vial. There was no way in hell she was taking _anything_ that woman wanted to give her. "Now relax, this is only a sedative, it will help you to sleep." She let out a grunt as Bethany slapped her wound with the whip. She grit her teeth and lifted up her pistol, firing a gunshot past Bethany's head. The nurse gasped and moved her index finger from side to side. "Tisk-tisk, Trina. You should know better."

"Fuck you, you're not my mother, and don't start thinking you _are_." Trina slowly rose to her feet and aimed the gun for Bethany. Her arms were shaking tremendously and her heart was crashing against her chest with great ferocity. She wasn't used to guns, but she would do whatever it took. She narrowed her eyes and felt a stream of water roll down her cheek. "You were a good nurse, we all loved you because you cared for us…so why did you go crazy? Did you sniff too much of the medicine? I don't want to have to do this, but you've left me with no choice."

"Trina."

"Shut up!" Trina slowly backed away, keeping her gun locked onto Bethany. She moved around the desk and spotted surveillance screens for every room. She pressed her lips tight together and stared at the keyboard, there was actually a key added that served to disarm all the traps. She struck the key and watched as everything that had just given her hell reverted. Bethany snarled and ran towards her.

"Bad girl…" Her stomach flipped and bile shot up to her mouth. She moved back as the woman slammed her bat down against her computer and desk, smashing through it. Trina made her mistake of watching the bat, she soon realized her mistake when she felt the whip wrap around her neck. Bethany let out a shout and pulled back. Trina grabbed the whip with her hands, preventing her neck from snapping, but her body still was pulled over the desk. She clenched her teeth as she was dragged through the debris. She rolled across the floor and bumped hard into the doorway, groaning as she moved her hand to her head.

She could hardly get close to this woman without fear that she was going to push that tranquilizer into her. The last thing she needed to do was fall unconscious _before_ the bitch was dead. Then there was the problem of the baseball bat and the whip, two very difficult things to deal with. As she pulled herself up, ignoring the incredible pounding sensation vibrating from her body, she glared at Bethany and sneered. "So why are you trying to kill me now? I thought you didn't want to kill us Vega sisters?"

"I'm sorry Trina, it's nothing personal." She scoffed and took a step back from the door, still glaring at the woman.

"Nothing _personal_? Don't joke around with me." Her left leg was feeling a bit better than it had before, and the adrenaline pumping inside of her really helped her ignore the searing pain. This allowed her to charge at the nurse, which was exactly what she did. Bethany's eyes widened as Trina lifted her leg and kicked towards her side, the knife in her shoe dug into the side of Bethany's abdomen. The nurse screamed out and quickly slammed her bat in an arc against Trina's leg.

"Bad!" Trina stumbled backwards and shook her leg, fortunately there wasn't too much pain. The blow wasn't hard at all. She watched the blood gush from Bethany's side and smirked triumphantly, she couldn't believe she actually landed a hit on this crazed psycho. "You're not acting as young girls should." The woman's eyes were crazed, bloodshot, and her hair had fallen into her face. Rather than looking at all like the sweet, familiar face that Trina looked, this woman looked more like Ursula from the Little Mermaid. "I'm going to punish you!"

She lifted her whip and Trina started to run towards the door. She jerked forward as the whip cracked her back, tearing the fabric and flesh from her. Bethany brought the whip down once more, striking her in the left leg, then the right shoulder. She fell forward and groaned mildly. She started crawling towards the steps, reaching out with her left hand.

Her eyes widened as Bethany stepped next to her. She looked up with wide eyes as Bethany tapped the bat upon her shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry it has to be like this, Trina." She rose the bat in the air, gripping it with both her hands. Trina smirked and took this opportunity to push her gun against the woman's left leg and to pull the trigger. Bethany let out a shout of agony as the bullet flew from her leg. The bat dropped onto Trina, striking her hard in the back. She yelped and groaned as she listened to Bethany start tumbling down the stairs towards the second story.

After a second, she slowly rose, holding her left hand over her right arm. She kicked the bat down the steps and slowly began limping towards the second floor. She had to be careful, Bethany could still very well be alive. A fall down stairs, especially if small, wasn't always strong. Halfway down the steps, she heard the crack of a whip and saw the whip shoot in between the rail. Her eyes widened as the whip slapped around her leg. Bethany let out a loud scream and pulled back, casing Trina's leg to snap backwards. She screamed and started falling forwards, tumbling down the steps.

The gun fired at some point of time and a sharp, burning pain dug into the top corner of her left arm. Her eyes filled with tears as she crashed onto the ground, barely able to move. Her eyes fixated on the ceiling above and silence surrounded her. _Give up? Never. Not an option._ She clenched her teeth and groaned as she attempted to sit up. Thinking fast, she gripped the bottom of her shirt and started tearing it off. She had to conceal that gunshot wound.

She surrounded the area while pulling her off, where did Bethany go? That woman could jump out of nowhere if she wasn't careful. Once off, she started tying her shirt around her arm, making sure it was tight and knotted to the point that it would not move. "O-Okay Bethany…where the hell did you disappear to?"

She slowly stood up, gripping the railing tightly. She was bruised and bloody. Not her day. She leaned started limping across the room, groaning with each step she took. There was no way she could use her martial arts now. The pain in her body was too great, no amount of adrenaline could help her here. She had to try, though, but how the hell could she even manage? No, she wasn't going to give in, she wasn't letting Tori lose another relative.

"Not a bad strike, Trina dear…" Trina spun around to see Bethany holding onto the stairs, leaning against it. Blood was pumping from her leg, her right arm was limp as well. "I'm impressed with you, but it wasn't enough." Bethany started limping towards her, raising her whip once more. Trina slowly walked towards her, her left leg seemed to drag behind her. She watched Bethany's side as well, smirking triumphantly as the blood pumped from there too.

"I won't need to hit you too much, Bethany…I know vital areas of the body."

"Silence. I will not let you take my girl from me." She brought the whip down onto Trina, striking her in the neck. Trina's hand flew to her neck and she fell back towards the ground. She hissed in pain as Bethany continued striking her, snapping the whip all along her body. It felt as though electricity were being shot into her and her flesh torn. It didn't help, having only her bra to cover her, but it was the only way to seal that gunshot. "I will protect Tori from you." The woman's tone was more crazed than before, which was truly surprising. Now she was acting as though _Trina_ were the threat?

"You bitch…" Trina rolled onto her back and tilted her head back as Bethany continued to whip her. "Tori is _my_ sister, and if anyone's protecting her, it's going to be _me_ against you." With a sudden surge of energy, she slashed her foot up, sliding her blade along the inside of Bethany's leg. The nurse screamed and dropped her whip as blood started gushing from her.

"No! You won't stop me Trina. I…will…no…" Bethany started staggering towards the other room. Most likely, she was trying to reach Tori before Trina did. At this rate, she may just do that.

Trina's body trembled as she slowly brought herself up, leaning against her strong arm. Her hair was caked with blood and sweat, her body wounded horribly, and her exhaustion was tremendous. Her vision was fading fast and darkness was creeping in, but she just _couldn't_ give up.

"No…" She clenched her gun and started to crawl, trying desperately to stand. After several minutes, her body was working on overtime, pumping out as much adrenaline as possible. With everyone on her mind, Tori, Jason, Christy, all of Tori's friends depending on her, and even her own parents. She could feel the strength pouring in.

She rose to her feet and started to jog through the room with the guns, thankfully shut off now. After she made her way out of that room, she hurried towards the steps and slowly descended. Her eyes located Bethany, almost to the door that Sinjin had once walked out of. She wouldn't get to her in time!

"Not today, Beth. Not today…" She slowly aimed her pistol over the railings, putting all her faith into one bullet. Tori was counting on her. Big time. Bethany stopped limping at the door and turned her gaze to the front doors for a brief moment. The woman looked back to where Sinjin's body had been and slowly shook her head. He was gone, the front doors open. In almost a split moment, she thought she saw two people move past the window outside, a flash of blonde hair whisked in and out of view.

Lilith? Trina pondered for a split second, Sinjin's missing body, but pushed it out of her mind as quickly as the question came. He probably crawled out of view and died. Her eyes drifted to Bethany, who was still just standing in place, eyeing her home as though it were her final moments of being there.

All this time, just standing, it wasn't doing her any good. Slowly, Trina licked her lips. All she could think about was saving her baby sister from that dark, infernal basement. "Goodbye _Nurse_ Bethany." Her finger hugged that trigger like it was her last lifeline, all of her strength and energy gave out to push that bullet from the nozzle. Bethany had absolutely no time to react. Her head snapped towards Trina, her eyes wide with fear. The bullet ripped through her, entering right in between her eyes. Blood splashed from both the front and the back of her head.

Relief flooded Trina's body as she stumbled down the steps and made her way to Bethany. She held her side and chuckled dryly, no one had to tell her twice that the woman was _finally_ dead. The monster was no more! But before she could take another step, her exhaustion took over and she fell forward, her vision blacking out completely.

_"Trina? Trina! I still need you. Help me! Come on, where are you, I know you're here. Please! I'm too scared!" _

Her eyes slowly opened and a moan escaped her lips. How long had she been out for? She wasn't too sure, but the pain in her body was practically gone. She still felt numb from all the wounds, but it didn't matter much. She slowly pushed herself up and stared at Bethany beside her. She'd beaten her? Amazing. Her eyes locked onto the keys at the nurse's waist and she quickly grabbed them away.

"Sorry Beth, I got a sister that needs me." She reached up and grabbed the doorknob, using it as leverage to pull herself up. She began limping towards the door, fully confident that there was no longer anything to worry about. The basement door was indeed locked, but after trying three of the keys, the fourth one unlocked it easily.

She opened the door and stared into it, feeling a rush of cold air striking her. She shuddered and slowly reached forward, searching for a handrail. It was so dark down there, not even the light from the room was any help. After taking a single step down, she could hear the distinct sound of water dripping from a pipe. Again, not good.

She ran her hand along the wall as she descended, the walls were cold and stony. That was fine, she needed a light switch, if there was any. Another sound rang in her ears, something that pleased her so much, but at the same time, caused her so much mourning. Tori's sobbing, a very light sob. She was relieved, as Tori was alive! When she turned from the steps, something struck her in the head. It wasn't heavy, it was small, but still noticeable. She pressed her lips together and raised her arm up, closing her fingers around a small chain.

_Please god, let this be a light switch._

She pulled the chain and light surrounded her like a spotlight, filling half of the basement. She heard Tori gasp. She saw Tori, tied to a chair, with her back towards her. "Who's there?" Tori asked with a very quiet whimper. "I-I don't want to die...I'm going to drown down here! It's so hard to see…"

Trina could see the pipe next to her that was dripping water onto the floor. She pushed down her anger and closed her eyes, exhaling softly. The bastards tortured Tori by trapping her with her worst fear? Water and darkness? "I'm scared…"

"Tori." Tori gasped and lifted her head up, slowly looking back, but unable to see anything. Trina moved towards her, smiling as joy erupted like a volcano. Tori was _alive!_ It was too good to be true. She met Tori's tearful eyes and reached for her, hugging her close. "It's okay. You're safe now, that's all that matters…"

"T-Tri…Tri?" Trina undid the rope around her sister's wrists and inhaled as Tori threw her arms around her neck. "The light hurts my eyes…"

"They'll adjust, don't you worry."

"It's too dark down here, and there's water…everywhere…what happened? Why am I here? Is everyone…" Trina wept with her, running her hand through Tori's hair. Tori closed her eyes and whimpered. "Water and darkness…"

"It's only a leak baby sis. There's no water, you're not drowning. Your big sis has you, that's all that matters. Let's get you out of here."

"Everyone…"

"They're safe. We'll get into that later." She helped Tori to her feet and moved her arm around her waist. "Can you walk?"

"I can try…" Tori sobbed lightly and started to bury her face into Trina's chest. She continued hugging her, never wanting to let go. "A-Are you okay? You smell like blood…"

"I'm fine Tori. Everything's okay now."

"I love you…"

"I love you too. Oh god I love you." She wept bitterly and held her sister tight. Now she needed Tori, more so than Tori needed her. Then again, they both needed each other, and thankfully, they had each other.

After managing to move out of the basement and out into the main area, Trina spotted Chiefs Warren and Michael, rushing in with her friends. Christy called out her name and Sikowitz watched with the two men. Jason ran up to them and she collapsed into his arms, finally giving in to the blood, anguish, and exhaustion in her body.

It was over. The battle, the war, Tori was alive and the gang, had been defeated. "Get the ambulance!" Jason called out. The paramedics were already rushing into the house. It wasn't long before both Trina and Tori were being carted away on stretchers. Jason eyed Bethany's body and shuddered, they all would probably have some bad nightmares from this. He turned and followed the paramedics out, he'd be riding with the Vega sisters, as would Christy. It was the least they could do. "I knew I should have come with her."

"She wouldn't have let you," Christy said with a low sigh. "Her pride got in the way of that, but…I understand her decision."

"Yeah, I guess so…" Even if it nearly cost her _life_, she still got Tori, and nobody else had to get hurt. The Chiefs were already responding to the paramedics in the ambulance, telling them about the traps throughout the house. So it was definitely dangerous. She may have actually saved more lives by refusing to let them follow her than otherwise. "I know one thing. I'm not leaving her side again."

"Me either Jason. Me either…"

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><p>There is one more chapter left, how epic was that battle? Did you enjoy the fight? The rescue? Did you also pay close attention, notice anything at all that might hint on what's to come in the future?<p> 


	28. Nothing Comes Between

The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N: Here it is guys, the final chapter. Now I haven't completely began the sequel, but it is coming. Expect "FINDING NORMALCY" to be up, _hopefully_ tomorrow (April 12th). Since I now work nights at Wal-Mart and I'm off tomorrow, I can write then. Anyway, enjoy this final chapter.

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><p>Chapter 27 (Nothing Comes Between)<p>

Trina opened her eyes, finding herself in a big white hospital room, her eyes were stabbed by light and her lips separated into a moan. Her body was no longer in pain, but she was afraid to try to sit up. She could see a window to her left and the silhouette of someone sleeping. She turned her head to the right, blinking several times, adjusting her eyes to the light. Where was Tori, exactly? Would they have put her in a different room? She hoped not, she'd been gone too long without her to be apart. That girl was still scared, most likely. Or maybe, she just didn't need her. Maybe her friends were already with her.

She struggled to move her body as the blue hospital door flew open. "Okay sweetie, I'm going to fix you right up," spoke a nurse with curly black hair. She raised her eyebrows and looked over curiously. Her heart began racing when she spotted Bethany's round, smiling face. What? What the hell? She was dead! She started shaking her head as the woman moved to her bedside. "Don't worry dear, I'll give you a lollipop after this, but first, we're going to have to amputate your legs. We don't want the gangrene to set in."

"N-No!" Sweat poured from her body as the lady started to grab a scalpel from some metal table. She watched with fearful eyes as the woman put the point of the blade directly above her chest. "Get off me! Get away, damn it!" Why couldn't she move her body? Had she become paralyzed? Panic spread to her limbs and her body began shaking, but it felt like someone was pushing her. Holding her.

"Trina, love, you're fine." She meshed her brows and arched her chest upwards as Bethany pushed the blade into her chest. She hissed and clenched her teeth, pulling back her tears and forcing the scream down. As the woman cut along her chest, she couldn't contain it any longer, the pain was too intense. She opened her mouth and let out a loud scream, writhing in agony.

She shot up in the bed, still screaming as two strong arms held her, hugging her. Her body was soaked with sweat, her heart racing, and her breath rapid. "It's okay Trina," Jason's voice seemed to echo into her head, reassuring her that she was somehow miraculously safe.

"A-A…dream?"

"Just a dream," Christy's voice was next. Her hand was on Trina's forearm, the contact was warm and gentle. Her eyes adjusted to see them standing on either side of her, Jason to her right and Christy to her left. She was in a hospital room with two beds. Sikowitz was seated in the chair beside the window to her left while Dr. Richards stood on her right between the two beds. On the second bed, Tori was sitting up and looking at her with wide, concerned eyes. Dr. Richards glanced up from a notepad, he had a younger doctor and a nurse with shoulder length, sandy blonde hair standing beside him.

"Make sure you don't hold her too tightly," Dr. Richards ordered while pointing a pencil to Jason. "Her ribs are bruised and she still has some broken bones, I'd like for them to heal sooner than later." Jason nodded and slowly released Trina, who was battling to recover from that nightmare. Dr. Richards moved over to her and smiled. "Trina, how are you feeling?"

"Like I just got out of a living hell. What are you doing here?" She heard Tori clear her throat and glanced over to see her with a bowl of soup in her lap. The others looked over and she inhaled softly.

"I know she just woke up and everything, but…can I have some time alone with her? I want to talk…" Dr. Richards sighed and turned to the doctor and nurse, gesturing to the doors.

"Everyone out." They hastily followed the instruction and Sikowitz started moving from his chair. He put his hand to Jason's shoulder and motioned with his head. Trina felt Christy squeeze her arm and met her eyes with a soft smile. She was relieved to see them there at all. Just being alive, she was relieved. Jason kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his kiss flow down into her body.

"We'll see you in a bit," Jason spoke with a very soft, loving tone. She smiled back at him and watched as he and Christy followed the others out of the room. She lifted her hand and rubbed her forehead, he had _stubble_ that tickled her. Had she been out that long? Her eyes drifted town to her body and she smiled when she saw two feet under her blanket. She wiggled her toes and chuckled softly, here she thought they would have had to cut off her left leg. Her left leg, however, she _could_ feel a cast. The fall down those stairs must have bruised her ribs and caused her leg to break. Great. She wouldn't be able to take her martial arts classes for a couple weeks now. How was she supposed to get stronger?

"I requested Dr. Richards," Tori said quickly. Trina looked to her sister with a subtle smile and leaned back against the bed. When had they moved the top portion of the bed up? It was good that she could recline and not have to lay all the way down. It hurt to move and she wasn't too sure she wanted to try to move that much. Tori spooned her soup to her mouth and stared down at the bowl, a deep sadness in her eyes. "Dr. Richards knows us best and he's been working with you, so…I could leave, but I'm still under eighteen and that's considered a minor. I need a parent or legal authority to be able to sign me out…"

"Tor..." The memory of the last few days returned to her, and with them, came the tears. Tori's face was hardened with depression, but it looked like she'd cried all her tears already. Their parents, she remembered they were gone, but did Tori already know that? Her tone, what she said, it seemed she had an idea.

Without missing a beat, Tori sniffed and wiped her eyes. They were wet, but tears just were not coming. Her face was already red and stained by tear streaks. She did look like she could use a shower. "Michael and Warren explained everything…you've been asleep for two days, Trina. Jason never left your side." Her eyes widened and she slowly turned her gaze to her body. Had it shut down that much? She did overexert herself, but it was all for a good cause. "What were you thinking? Going in there alone…after you know mom and d-" Tori choked up a sob and closed her eyes. Her heart sank and she slowly reached her hand out, she wanted to take Tori's hand, but the beds were spaced too far apart. "What if you had died, Trina? What then? I'd be alone…Sure I have my friends, but, I _need_ _you_. I can't survive this without you, Trina!"

"I know. Me either…" She felt terrible being scolded for her stupid mistake by her little sister, but it was justified, she knew. It was a stupid mistake to go alone, Jason and Christy could have been a great help, as could Sikowitz. Had Christy been there, she could have sliced right through that damn whip that Bethany had, Sikowitz could have smacked down Sinjin, and Jason could have toppled Tyson. Things would have been so different had she brought them with her.

"But Trina…" Her eyes flew to Tori, who was watching her from the corner of her eyes. The girl's lips were curved into a smile. Her breathing seemed normal and she didn't have any bruising or scarring. "Thank you. For not giving up on me. The others too…my friends are all safe because you guys cared enough to save them. They could all be _dead_ right now, but they're not, and they have you guys to thank for that. Their families took them to hospitals, as requested, so they'll be there for a while, but the important thing is that they are alive." Her heart filled with that old prideful feeling, but no more did she have to acknowledge that she was best. She wasn't. It was good that the families had hospitalized the others, that was necessary. Andre would need his physical therapy, as would Beck, and everyone needed to be checked over.

"I couldn't have done it without Jason, Christy, and even Mr. Sikowitz. I probably would have been killed in the first battle if they weren't with me." Tori chuckled and slowly nodded her head, she was thinking on Sikowitz's involvement.

"I was surprised…that _Mr. Sikowitz_ knew how to kick ass." Trina laughed, but her chest flared up with pain in response. She put her hand to her side and leaned her head back, sighing softly. "Even more interesting is…you and his _nephew_ have a thing going on."

"What? Are you going to say 'I told you so'?" She smirked, remembering their last conversation before the whole tragedy happened. Tori smiled at her, then frowned, bowing her head and closing her eyes.

"What's going to happen to us, Trina? I know Michael and Warren said any possible charges against your vigilante actions were revoked. Besides, you're kind of like…a hero…I saw everything on the news over the last two days. I can't believe Sinjin was involved, and that boy, Damian…" Trina bowed her head and closed her hands on the sheet. She was grateful she wouldn't have to worry about getting in trouble for going vigilante. Besides, she could prove self-defense on anything, she knew enough about criminal law to pay attention to that. "That necklace…the police got everything from that chip, so the gang's definitely finished, but…"

"It wasn't about the chip or the necklace, Tori. I realize that now." Tori whimpered softly and clenched her eyes shut, a sign that she possibly understood the true reason herself. "That crazy nurse snapped, obsessing over wanting children. She only used that chip as bait to lure me in…once I got to her, she tried to kill me, but either or…"

"I haven't seen the others yet." Trina raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the table between their beds. There were several get well cards resting there, for both. Condolences offered and whatnot, the same was said for the balloons surrounding them. Had everything been delivered? "Like I said, it's only been two days and they're all recovering at their own clinics. The doctors didn't want too many visitors."

"I guess I can understand that."

"I just can't believe…Will anything ever be _normal_ again? I even know the answer to that, but I just…"

"Don't let your soup get cold…" Trina closed her eyes and exhaled. What could she say? She wished for normalcy too, but it was clear nothing would ever be the same again. There was no sense in lying about that. "We'll still be together, Tori."

"I'm not leaving your side, Trina…I just…I don't think mentally…I don't think I can do that. I've never stopped needing you, sis."

"Funny…I was about to say the same thing…" Tori sniffled. Trina opened her eyes and turned her head to her, fresh tears welled up as she studied her little sis. It would be so difficult for her to readjust to everything. "I'm going to do everything I can…to ensure we can have a good life. It'll happen…one day…I'm going to look after you, but, I may need you to look after me sometimes."

"I'll try. Where are we going to live? What about money?"

"Mom and Dad left behind money, it's probably ours now…I want to put that in a savings account. As for where to live, I don't know. I was thinking we'd move in with Grandma downtown for a while." She wasn't ready to buy an apartment yet, she still needed to get back to her own classes, she had at least a week of college material to catch up on. "You can finish school when you're ready to go back."

"I just want to start school whenever I can. I know my friends are going to get back as soon as they can start." Tori reached over and took one of the cards on the table, smiling as she opened it. "Look, they sent us letters and stuff."

"They were able to do that?" Tori's face fell and she lifted her shoulders.

"They filled out cards with their families, but the doctors at their clinics sent them into the police department really. They don't know we're here at the moment. Chief Warren and Michael have only told certain people where we're at because until they're certain you can deal with the media asking you a million questions, they don't want us or the hospital to be bombarded by people."

"I see…" That was understandable, she would hate to be hit with a million reporters. "I thought the police were taking the credit for taking out the gang."

"They did. Giovanni at least…but they said you singlehandedly took out the final members of the gang. They had to, everyone at the school saw you take out Lane…"

"Oh. Yeah." She lifted her head up and furrowed her brow as Tori read the contents of the card. They probably had plenty of time to read through them all. "What does it say?"

"This one is from Andre. He says, 'I'm glad you and your sis are okay, words can't express how happy I am! I hope we can see you guys again really soon, we're all eager to talk to you.' All the cards are relatively similar, expressing thanks, best wishes, hopes to see us again soon…I miss them, Tri."

"I know, we'll see them once we recover enough to get out of here." Tori smiled half-heartedly and scooped her soup up to her mouth. It might be a while before anyone was ready to truly talk about everything that happened, but she knew eventually, in order to cope, they would all have to sit down one day and just talk about it. Maybe with a guidance counselor that _wasn't_ an evil prick. "I suppose you were told what happened to Lane…"

"You went nuts…I didn't ask for details. I really didn't want to know everything. I was surprised though…about the Gorilla Club. I didn't know that thing was a _robot_."

"Yeah, that was a shock. I have to say, Christy really did always come through for us. Jason and his uncle too, like you wouldn't believe." Tori didn't smile too much, but her lips gave way to a very faint upwards curve. She was practically glowing from relief of being out of that danger, the fear that she wouldn't make it out alive.

"I don't think I'll look at Mr. Sikowitz the same way after this."

"Be kind of hard to do that."

"Yeah…oh, and Cat sent me a letter in her card, saying that mom died protecting me. Was that true? I wasn't there during the whole ordeal…the others all thought it was me…"

"Even I thought it was you, from the picture they sent. Truth? When we saved Cat, I thought she was the last one alive…I was about ready to let the police raid the casino they took all of them to. By some miracle, Lane didn't take Cat away right off the bat like the other leaders did with your friends…so she managed to recognize mom…" Tori's face scrunched as though she were trying to cry. "In a way, I should thank Cat as well. Emotionally I was far past drained, had she not said you were still alive…"

"I know. They told me about my 'death'. Just, thank you for not giving up."

"Yeah…read some more of those cards?"

"Sure." Trina sighed as Tori reached over and started grabbing more of the cards from her friends. As time went on, tears streamed her cheeks and joy washed through her angry heart. She didn't have to be angry anymore, she didn't have to hate that nurse any longer. She was enjoying the peace now, her sister at her side, reading off all the cards and letters sent not only from friends, but the school and relatives.

The only real relative left was their grandmother, Betty Keller-Vega. She was seventy-six years old. She was actually their _father's _mom. She heard someone suggest that she was Holly's mother, but Holly's mother died in 2009. David had a younger sister, their Aunt Sonya, who was fifty-two years old. Sonya actually was taking care of her mother, she'd been married, but her husband died in some freak accident back in 2002. They had one son, who was finishing college. It would be nice to see them again.

Tori was still finishing up her senior year, so she probably wouldn't want to skip out on these next few months. Though they would have to see if she could manage. It was possible that Tori may actually _need_ a break from school.

The door handle turned and her eyes flicked towards it. Her heart started pounding as she prepared her defenses. Tori froze and stared at the brown door, uncertain who would be coming in. When it opened, Chief Warren and Michael came walking in, smiling at the two. They relaxed for a split second, then tensed one more as they heard a familiar voice.

"My grandchildren!" Smiles plastered their faces as a flash of grey came running in the room. It was their grandmother, Betty. Trina never thought she'd be so happy to see her grandmother's wrinkly face. Though the woman still needed a haircut, the woman's long silver hair hanging over her shoulders just looked creepy. "Trina! Tori! I'm here!"

The lady was of average size, wearing a white dress with flower shaped polka dots patterned into the design. She started moving from bed to bed, hugging them both and crying softly. Behind her stood a tall, thin woman with chin length brown hair and gentle, kind eyes. Her eyes seemed hazy and her lips bore a smile of relief. Trina looked over and breathed in.

"Hi Aunt Sonya. Where's Arnold?"

"He's coming, he stopped by one of the nurses. He wanted to ask them something. You know he's going into Med School in the fall." Trina nodded and looked to the door as a young man came walking in. He had short dirty blonde hair, with the front end spiked up. His deep blue eyes met hers and his lips curved into a smile. Sonya smiled at him and closed her eyes. "Hey Arnold."

"Hey cousins!" Tori squealed delightedly, instantly recognizing Arnold. "Glad to see you guys. Mom and Grandma rushed over here when Michael told them what happened…why it took them two whole days to contact us, I'll never know."

"Told you, we had to be sure of their safety," Michael urged. "All precautions. The point is, you're together, they're safe, and that's important."

"Right." He moved over and hugged his cousins. Sonja hugged them as well. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. After the tearful reunion, it was determined, mostly by Sonja and Betty, that the girls would be staying with them. Dr. Richards still wanted to observe them for the rest of the day, but they would be free to leave the hospital the next day.

No matter how long it took, though, Trina didn't care. All she truly cared about, all she truly wanted, was that Tori was safe beside her. Everything that happened to her, all the struggles, all the near deaths, it was all worth it. It would always be worth it, and would remain a memory that there was truly nothing that would stand between her and the sister she loved. No matter what.

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><p>So what did you think of the chapter? Tell me your thoughts, I hope you enjoyed it! (Also hope you caught the "golden age of nick" reference I threw in.<p>

So...final chapter...It's come a long way, and I want to thank each and every one of you for reading, leaving your much appreciated thoughts as the chapters went on. You're all great, and this story was truly awesome. The sequel is up, here it is: .net/s/8016243/1/


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